Glowing Potential
by JPC
Summary: When Giles tries to track down a potential Slayer in LA, he meets Connor and crosses paths with Angel and Cordy. Then he learns why LA has become far more perilous than Sunnydale.
1. Fire and Rain and a Singing Pylean

[Hyperion lobby. Giles with Angel, Cordy and Connor]

GILES: Glad to see you two are well. Now if you will excuse me, I have an apocalypse to prevent. [walks to door. stops. looks out window.] Is it raining fire?

CORDY: It does that every Wednesday afternoon.

ANGEL: It'll pass in 15 minutes. Then you can be off on whatever important business you have to conduct.

GILES: Why are you people acting so blase?

CONNOR: It's scary the first time. But then you get used to it.

GILES: This happens a lot?

CORDY: Every Wednesday afternoon. I told you that already.

GILES: I thought you were joking. Just like all the other jokes you told me.

ANGEL: We haven't told you any jokes.

GILES: Is this what happens when smog gets really, really bad? Or is God actually punishing this city? Has water turned to blood? When does he kill all the first-born males?

ANGEL: He doesn't. [Angel grabs Connor and hugs him] It's not God. It's The Beast. Ever since he came all Hell's broken loose.

GILES: What beast?

CORDY: THE Beast. Big, red, anatomically-incorrect demon with horns on his head and hoofs for feet. Kills hundreds at a time.

ANGEL: Like a tank, except much more agile.

GILES: That sounds . . . formidable. But I'm sure you're exaggerating. [looks out the window] Or maybe you're not.

CONNOR: You said you were here to protect us from The Beast.

GILES: I was going to protect you from the First Evil. The thing that actually IS trying end the world. I assume your fellow is just an extreme nuisance. [looks out the window again] Why wasn't this on the news?!

[Lorne comes down the stairs in a bathrobe, martini in hand]

LORNE: "I've seen fire, and I've seen rain/ I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end/ I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend/ But I always thought that I'd see you again." [looks at Giles] Haven't seen you before.

GILES: You're a Pylean. I've never seen one domesticated. Assimilated, I mean. I thought your race was tone deaf and incapable of musical expression.

LORNE: They are. I'm not. Guess that's your fancy English way of saying you liked my singing.

GILES: I'd call it crooning. Singing is more like what I do.

LORNE: You want to demonstrate? I'd be more than happy to listen, amateur.

GILES: Amateur? How dare you. Like you're a professional.

LORNE: I am. Sold out Vegas 14 weeks straight.

GILES: Lounge singing doesn't count.

CORDY: [to Angel] Why are Giles and Lorne reminding me of how Buffy and I acted when we were in high school?

LORNE: And where would I have seen your name on a marquee?

GILES: If my name hasn't appeared in lights, it's certainly not for lack of talent. I'll have you know I was nearly a member of Pink Floyd. I was good friends with Roger Waters and Rick Wright. Sometimes we'd jam. When Syd Barrett left the band after a Plugary Demon sucked out his sanity, they asked me to join. Alas, my sacred duties as a Watcher prevented me from accepting their offer, and they took Dave Gilmour instead. In fairness, his guitar playing was superior to mine, though his singing was decidedly inferior. But Roger said that wouldn't matter, since he'd be doing most of the singing.

ANGEL: I though Syd Barrett was attacked by a Dromedaron demon?

GILES: No, that's what stole Peter Green's sanity.

LORNE: Back up a bit. I thought both of them lost their marbles cause they took too much acid?

GILES: Don't be so naive.

CORDY: Did this whole rockstar wannabe thing happen at the same time when you raised that demon which killed a bunch of people?

GILES: Thank you for the reminder. I see you haven't changed.

ANGEL: You'd be wrong about that one, Rupert. Very wrong.

GILES: Yes, well, I'm sure she's matured, as we all have.

LORNE: You'd be wrong about that one too, Rupert. Say cupcake, why don't you show me those golden pipes you've been bragging about and sing me a bit of something?

GILES: Hold on. You're Pylean. With shallow red tusks. As a member of the Messenian class of the Laconian order of demons, you must possess certain cognitive powers. You're a thought stealer. That's why you want to hear me sing. To steal my thoughts.

LORNE: I prefer the term empath. I don't STEAL thoughts. I READ them. To help the person. And people are usually happy to have me take their reading. Even if they are wretched singers. I was just hoping I could hear something tuneful for a change around here.

CORDY: Enough with the snide remarks about my singing.

LORNE: Relax sweetie. You're not even the worst singer in this room.

ANGEL: I didn't know you had heard Connor sing.

LORNE: I haven't.

ANGEL: HEY!! Come on now! I'm worse than Cordy?

CORDY: You're a real gentleman today.

LORNE: I would rather watch you slaughter children than hear you sing. Listen to me, going all Simon Cowell on you. [walks over to Giles] However, I don't have to hear you sing to pick up a few vibes. You have the weight of the world on your shoulders. Everyone is counting on you to hold it together, to be the adult. And for whatever reason, you think you're like Churchill in 1940, the last line of defense against some great evil.

GILES: I certainly do not have delusions that I am Winston Churchill!

LORNE: All I said was that you identified with him. I'm going to freshen my drink. Anyone want anything?

GILES: Do you have a single-malted scotch?

LORNE: Liquor before noon. Guess that's one way you're like Winston.


	2. The ambush

GILES: Buffy it's me.

BUFFY: Giles where are you?

GILES: I'm driving north on I-5. I'm sorry I had to leave so abruptly, but the Seer told be she detected a young woman glowing in Los Angeles. She thinks it's another potential Slayer, and I wanted to get to this girl before the Bringers did.

BUFFY: Haven't we learned that this glowing thing is not always unreliable?

GILES: That was just Willow botching the spell. She had the wrong kind of eggs and she didn't, never mind. How is the new girl doing?

BUFFY: She can't speak English, but apparently Andrew knows Chinese, and he can translate for me. The only problem is now I have to bring him on patrols. Andrew's the only person she can talk to. I really feel sorry for her.

GILES: At least Andrew's finally contributing something to the team. Try to keep the house in one piece, and I'll be back with your latest trainee before nightfall.

[The seer gave Giles the address of the building where she detected the potential Slayer. It's mostly abandoned. He finds one apartment that looks inhabited. He knocks on the door. No answer. Giles fears the Bringers have got to her. The door's unlocked. He opens it. He enters the loft. It looks empty. Then someone comes out of nowhere and puts a knife to his throat.]

CONNOR: Who sent you? [Giles glances over his shoulder. Realizes this kid isn't a Bringer.]

GILES: Please relax and take the knife away from my throat. I'm here to help.

CONNOR: Why should I trust you?

GILES: You were ready for me. Are you used to intruders? Men in black swooping in to try to take her away, to hurt her?

CONNOR: How do you know about that?

GILES: Because I'm one of the good guys. I want to protect her. And I'm the only one who can keep her alive.

CONNOR: I'm her protector.

GILES: Yes, and that's very honorable of you, young man. But you have no idea what powerful forces you are up against. [Connor puts the knife away. Giles is relieved.]

CONNOR: Talk.

GILES: Well then, I see you're a child of few words, so I'll be as brief and succinct as possible. I'm not a crazy person. But I'm going to tell you something which may sound absolutely insane. Vampires are real.

CONNOR: Yeah. I've known that my whole life.

GILES: Really? Does she know vampires are real?

CONNOR: Of course. We've killed them together.

GILES: So she's already begun her slaying. Excellent. Has she displayed any extraordinary powers, abilities which seem almost superhuman?

CONNOR: She glowed once. Is that what you're talking about?

GILES: Sort of. Though it's odd you would be able to see that. You two must be very close. What are you, exactly? Her brother? Her boyfriend, perhaps?

CONNOR: The second one.

GILES: Ah. Do you know where I can find her?

CONNOR: She works for my father. I'll take you there.

[At the Hyperion lobby, which is empty when Giles and Connor enter.]

GILES: This is a very spacious office. What exactly does your father do for a living?

CONNOR: I'll go find her. [Brings Cordy out] This guy wants to see you.

CORDY: Giles? Giles! What a surprise!

GILES: Indeed.

CONNOR: Here is the girl you were asking about.

GILES: Is this some sort of joke? Because I am not amused. This is a supreme waste of my exceedingly valuable time. Who put you up to this?

CONNOR: Why are you so mad? You told me to bring you to the woman who lived with me and fought vampires and glowed. That's Cordy.

GILES: Who is this boy and why is he playing a part in your little charade?

CORDY: What is your problem?

GILES: My problem is I came here looking for a Slayer and instead I get led to you, someone who is obviously not a Slayer.

CONNOR: Cordy's a slayer. We all are.

GILES: Come again? Now that joke makes absolutely no sense.

CORDY: What joke? Giles, is there some medication you haven't been taking?

ANGEL: What's all the noise? Rupert. Hey man, it's been a while. What brings you here? Lemme guess, the imminent apocalypse?

GILES: Yes, except none of you have any part to play in it.

CORDY: Did you recently suffer a massive head injury? Maybe that's what's causing your delusions.

GILES: Angel, what are you doing here? Do you work for this boy's father?

ANGEL: I am this boy's father.

[Giles bursts into uncontrollable laughter, which lasts for about a minute,]

ANGEL: Cordy, I think you're right. Giles needs help.

CONNOR: He said he was going to help us. He knew Cordy was powerful, and that people had come after her. He seemed like a good guy.

GILES: It's funny cause it's so bloody ridiculous! Angel's a FATHER. Cordelia's a SLAYER. Cordelia shacks up with Angel's son? No, that part's not funny. Quite disturbing, actually. Anyway, this was a very childish waste of my time. Did Willow put you up to this? I need to call them.

CORDY: Poor Giles. I hate to see someone I know lose it like this.

ANGEL: He had a very stressful job. Everyone has their breaking point.

GILES: Buffy, I want to know, who was in on this? A Slayer - in Los Angeles. How very convenient. I should have seen it coming a mile away.

BUFFY: Giles you're not making any sense. Did you find her?

GILES: Yes I did. And do you who she is? Cordelia.

Buffy: What?!! Cordelia is NOT a Slayer.

GILES: I know that. Was it Willow? Did she get my Seer to play this trick on me?

BUFFY: Willow doesn't know your Seer. None of us do. Except for you. Why would she lead you to Cordy?

GILES: That's what I bloody well want to know.

[Buffy's in the kitchen with the newbies. Spike comes down, looks through the fridge.]

SPIKE: Who put my blood in the freezer? What am I supposed to do now? It's hard as a rock. Like a bloody popsicle. You know the rules – don't mess with my blood, and I won't drink your blood. And don't think I'm bluffing.

BUFFY: Spike, you're shirt's completely unbuttoned.

SPIKE: So?

BUFFY: So the newbies are staring at you. And I think Molly may be drooling.

SPIKE: Right. Don't want to corrupt the kiddies. [buttons up]

BUFFY: What was that, Giles? Really? He said what? [bursts out laughing] How would that even be remotely possible? Who's the mother? Who? Spike, Giles has something to tell you. [Buffy hands the phone to Spike, keeps laughing.]

MOLLY: Is this how it works? We stake the ugly ones, but get to keep the pretty ones as pets?

BUFFY: [stops laughing] Spike is not a . . . it's complicated. And highly unusual.

KENNEDY: [who of course was not checking out Spike] Not for you it isn't. Willow told me about Angel. Is Spike also cursed?

SPIKE: Angel's a dad? Who's the mum? Darla!!! Darla, a mother! [starts laughing] That's the funniest thing I've heard in a long while. Imagine the two of them as parents. [laughs some more] And they said this with a straight face?

GILES: I don't know how they keep their composure. And the kid is such a good actor. It's like he really believes they are his parents. What does he look like? Really lanky, a little shorter than Angel. Dark hair. Very stormy and brooding. I know. It's just what you would expect a child of theirs to look like.

SPIKE: So how does the story go? Angel claims he had a brief reconciliation with Darla in the 80s, and then abandoned the boy?

GILES: Much better. He says the boy was born last year and raised in a hell dimension by Angel's old arch-nemesis, who traveled 200 years through time to punish Angel.

SPIKE: The time travel part's a bit over-the-top, don't you think? They wouldn't even try something THAT loopy on "Passions."

GILES: Not to mention the fact that Darla's been as dead as dust for more than 5 years.

SPIKE: Actually, she was resurrected as a human a few years ago. Dru sired her, and Darla hung around LA and tormented Angel.

GILES: So that part of their story is true?

SPIKE: A good practical joke always needs to be built around a kernel of truth. That's the beauty of this little con. Guess now that Angel's away from the Hellmouth, he doesn't have too many demons to fight, and has to find some way to pass the time.

GILES: But this was just far too immature, wasting my time like this. Tell Buffy I'll be heading back. [hangs up. looks at Angel and Cordy.] Glad to see you two are well. Now if you will excuse me, I have an apocalypse to prevent. [walks to door. stops. looks out window.] Is it raining fire?


	3. Missing the Hellmouth

ANGEL: So what brings you to town? Obviously you're not here to help us fight the Beast, since you've never even heard of it.

GILES: Actually, I was looking for Slayers. Potential Slayers. I'm trying to avert an apocalypse.

CORDY: No, you're trying to ignore an apocalypse. WE'RE the ones trying to stop an apocalypse.

GILES: Yes, of course. Your Beasty. He seems to have a few tricks up his sleeve. But I am contending with a far vaster and more powerful enemy - the First Evil. The source of all evil.

ANGEL: That's the thing that makes you see things and tries to convince you to do bad stuff, right?

GILES: Yes. But there's more to it than that.

CORDY: Does it rain fire?

GILES: Well, no. Not yet, anyway. What it does is attempt to eliminate all opposition. To decimate the forces of good.

ANGEL: It kills only ten percent of the good guys? That's not too bad.

GILES: Forgive my erroneous colloquialism. It's killing Watchers. And Potential Slayers. The Council is obliterated, literally. I'm all that remains. Currently, I am scouring the globe for all surviving Potential Slayers, attempting to find them before they are killed. Then bring them to Sunnydale where Buffy can protect and train them. I was told there was a Potential Slayer in Los Angeles at an address which turns out to be this stealthy young man's flat. He gave me quite a scare, to be honest. I enter the place. It's empty. Next thing I know there's a knife to my throat.

ANGEL: Connor that's no way to treat house guests.

CONNOR: All the strangers who come to my place are evil and try to hurt me or Cordy. What was I supposed to think?

ANGEL: Good point.

GILES: But instead of being led to a Potential Slayer, I was led to Cordelia. What I want to know is why.

CORDY: Who told you I was a Slayer?

GILES: My Seer. She finds the Potentials and notifies me.

ANGEL: How exactly does she find them?

GILES: A locator spell. The Slayer-in-Waiting glows. That's how she pinpoints her location.

CONNOR: Cordy glows. I've seen her do it.

CORDY: I haven't done that in a while. Do I have some sort of residual glowiness?

GILES: Angel, what the devil is Cordelia talking about? [Lorne comes down]

LORNE: Here's your Scotch. [Giles takes a sip] So you knew Cordelia before she became part-demon? [Giles spits it out] Maybe you should to sit down and take a big gulp of that drink.

GILES: Perhaps you're right. Would someone please explain to me why Cordelia is phosphorescent?

CORDY: I was having these visions, which I used to help Angel.

GILES: Visions. Like Drusilla?

ANGEL: No No No NoNoNo. Not like her. Not like her at all. Why would you even think that?

GILES: Right. It's not like you find yourself sexually attracted to Cordelia. So clearly it's not the same. It was just - a brunette with visions - never mind. [Angel's quite shaken by Giles's flippant comments. As if his relationship with Cordy wasn't disturbing enough.]

CORDY: Also, I'm not crazy and don't have the hots for that Spike guy. The Billy Idol thing is sooo tired. What kind of girl would go for THAT?

GILES: Ironic you would ask, because – oh, that was a rhetorical question. [decides to let the matter pass for now. he has more important things on his mind, like demon glow Cordy.]

CORDY: The problem is, humans aren't strong enough to have these visions. Eventually, they kill the person. So before that happened to me, the forces that controlled the visions made me part demon. The visions no longer hurt me. But I could do some new stuff, like float and glow. I mean, really, REALLY glow.

LORNE: Imagine a 150 kilowatt bulb.

GILES: You witnessed this, er, incandescence?

ANGEL: We all did.

CONNOR: I was going to kill her, because I thought all demons are bad. But she touched me, and she glowed, and I glowed, and I felt this love and kindness wash over me.

LORNE: Ain't that how it always starts? She fills him with love, and pretty soon he's filling her with something else. [Angel glares at Lorne]

GILES: You're saying she could heal with her touch.

CORDY: And there was this other time when the hotel was infested by thousands of slimy demons and I touched one of them and they all disappeared. Like I said, I was way powerful. Too powerful. So I was taken away and became a Higher Being. After a few months of being lonely and omniscient I was sent back here. I haven't glowed or floated since then, but I still have the visions.

GILES: What do you mean by omniscient?

CORDY: I mean it was really brave what you let Willow do to you. I mean that witch named Rhianne in that coven thingy was totally flirting with you, and you should have asked her out cause at your age if you don't settle down you just look pathetic.

GILES: You think Rhianne wants me? Hold on. How could you possibly those things?

CORDY: Hello McFly. I was omniscient.

GILES: Pardon me for not having taken that literally. [finishes drink] Can I have another?

LORNE: I'll get the bottle.

CONNOR: I'll get it. [leaps up to the third floor in a single bound.]

GILES: What exactly did you put in this Scotch? [Connor returns]

LORNE: Thanks kiddo. But this is the 85. I was giving our guest the 83. [Connor leaps again] Don't bother. It's okay. [Connor drops back down into the lobby]

GILES: Well. That was . . . unprecedented. For a human. And since I was outside with you in the sunlight, I know you're not a vampire.

ANGEL: I tried to tell you. He's my kid. [Lorne pours Giles more Scotch]

GILES: Thank you, my wisecracking Pylean friend. One impossibility at a time. Where were you when you were omniscient? Such powers are only available to those residing in certian heavenly dimensions.

CORDY: Wow. Then heaven in really, really boring.

GILES: Could you please, while I am still able to suspend my disbelief, describe what this dimension was like?

CORDY: I was glowing in white light. I couldn't move. Couldn't talk to anyone. Couldn't touch anyone. In the distance I could see other glowing white lights. Everything else was black and empty.

GILES: That's very interesting. It sounds like you were in one of the middle levels of Dante's Paradiso.

ANGEL: I never thought of that. You're right. That's exactly what it was. Good call, Rupert.

GILES: This Scotch is quite excellent. It's exceedingly rare to find a demon with a refined taste in spirits.

CORDY: Are you saying this Dante guy made me a Higher Being?

GILES: Did you have a Guardian Angel named Virgil? [Angel, Giles laugh. Cordy doesn't get it.]

CORDY: He told me his name was Skip.

GILES: You really think Rhianne had a thing for me? I thought Olivia was the one coming on to me.

CORDY: Olivia's a lesbian. She's with Gwynned.

GILES: Really. The two of them. I guess they'd make quite a smashing couple. Did your omniscience allow you to notice Rhianne's phone number?

LORNE: She was a Higher Power. Not a dating service. Though a Higher Power dating service is NOT a bad idea.

CONNOR: I don't know what it would be like to date a Higher Power. We skipped that and went right to the good part. [Cordy looks chagrined. Angel seethes. Lorne grimaces.]

GILES: Ah yes. Almost forgot about that one. [looks at Lorne] Is he really Angel's and Darla's son?

LORNE: I know. It's something you have to see to believe. And I saw it.

GILES: Last year there were rumours from the lunatic fringe about the birth of a vampire child. But I didn't take them seriously. And of course I had no idea I was familiar with the vampires in question. So Angel, does every woman you sleep with get resurrected? Sorry. It's just, well, you know. [looks at Connor] It's not everyday I meet a miracle child. God sure broke the mold when he made you.

LORNE: Let's hope so.

GILES: You're a gifted young man. A special, precious human being. A Chosen One. Hold it. I think I'm drifting into my Slayer speech. Silly me. After all, there really is only one of YOU. Your father is a remarkable man. As for your mother, she, well, remarkable in her own way. And it just occurred to me that I once threw holy water in your mum's face. In fairness to her, I should point out that I also tried to kill your father. [pauses] I'm just going to ask this one more time - am I on Candid Camera or something?

LORNE: It helps to put events in context. You just saw the sky rain fire. If that's possible, why couldn't this be possible?

GILES: Plus, it satisfies Aachem's Razor. After all, it IS the simplest explanation. God I miss the Hellmouth. Life's so simple there. The Vampires are infertile. Thank heavens! [imagine if Spike was spawning] So Cordelia, that means you had Angel's son. I mean, after Darla had Angel's son. Rather soon after Darla had him. [looks at Cordy, looks at Connor, looks at Angel] God I do miss the Hellmouth. [downs the rest of his drink]

LORNE: Now you know why I drink so much. I have to deal with this 24-7.

GILES: I need to go make I quick phone call. [walks into courtyard. takes out cell phone.]


	4. Mr Giles, are there boy slayers?

[Buffy's dining room. Willow, Buffy, Anya and Xander sit around the table]

XANDER: How come you're not with the Potentials?

BUFFY: I'm trying to write a new speech. Willow, have you come up with any good sound bites?

WILLOW: I'm trying! What about the two speeches I wrote for you yesterday?

BUFFY: They were good. But I need new material.

WILLOW: Maybe you should think of hiring a professional speechwriter. I'm all tapped out. Right now, everything I try to write turns into "we few, we band of sisters."

BUFFY: That's good.

WILLOW: It's also plagiarism. And wouldn't it be better if I used my time to research the First Evil or come up with protective magics?

BUFFY: Maybe later. Right now we need inspirational speeches to build unit cohesion.

ANYA: Willow's right. She should do magic. I could write your speeches. You've seen my stuff. It's very good.

BUFFY: It's also very graphic. "We shall wear our enemy's entrails as garlands and bathe in the blood of the damned?"

ANYA: Slaying is an inherently violent activity. G-Rated rhetoric won't prepare these girls for what they are going to face. But if you want something better I can always kidnap Peggy Noonan. That woman owes me big time. I cursed Mary Matalin for her.

WILLOW: How did you curse Mary Matalin?

ANYA: Made her think she was in love with that ugly James Carville guy. That one still makes me laugh. Like I said, Peggy can write the speeches, Willow can do the magic, Xander and I can do the research, and Buffy, you can train the newbies. I don't think it's a good idea for Spike to spend so much time alone with them.

XANDER: You know how he can get around Slayer blood. And they're not strong enough to stop him.

BUFFY: I trust Spike. And they really seem to like him.

ANYA: That's the problem. They all have huge crushes on him. Except for Kennedy, of course. The rest of them enjoy going hand-to-hand with him WAY too much. Then there are the ruses they use to get him to take off his shirt when he's training them. "Are you really cold blooded?" "Can we touch you and see for ourselves?" "Can we feel your heart not beating?" Spike's doing his best to keep the kitties at bay, but the whole thing's just this side of disturbing.

BUFFY: It's only a harmless crush. They're gonna have crushes on someone. Better Spike than Giles.

WILLOW: What do you mean better Spike than Giles? What's wrong with having a teenage crush on Giles?

XANDER: What about me? It's not unheard of for a girl to fall for the Xandman.

BUFFY: Xander, let's not get ridiculous.

[Dawn is alone in the kitchen doing math homework. phone rings. Dawn answers]

GILES: Hello Dawn. Is Buffy there?

DAWN: Right. Cause who'd want to talk to regular old unexceptional me.

GILES: This is not the time. Please put your sister on. And try to look on the bright side - at least you're not cannon fodder. That's a good thing.

DAWN: Guess you have to be cannon fodder to get any attention around her. Buffy! It's Giles! 

BUFFY: Tell him I'll be right there!

DAWN: She'll be with you in one moment.

GILES: Is she still writing speeches? Please tell her to stop.

DAWN: We've tried. But you know how stubborn Buffy can be.

GILES: I blame myself. I'm the one who told her to inspire them with her words as well as her actions. I created a monster.

BUFFY: Hey Giles. Any news from LA?

GILES: More than you could possibly imagine. But for now I'll stick to the essentials. Cordelia is not a Slayer. But she is part demon. And she's phosphorescent. That's why the seer noticed her glowing. We probably have all the Potentials. Without any more Slayer signals to find, she honed in on Cordy because she has, well, glowed. It's very complicated, and entirely irrelevant and dilatory at this moment.

BUFFY: Cordy's a demon? There was always something inhuman about her. Guess now she really is Xander's type of woman.

GILES: You mean because he's a demon magnet? That's quite funny. However, I don't think Xander is exactly HER type anymore. Please don't ask me to explain. This I beg of you.

BUFFY: Okay, chill out. So how's Angel?

GILES: He's holding up surprisingly well, considering all he's been through. He's had it even tougher than you this past year.

BUFFY: Can't imagine how that's possible. I'd have to talk to him myself to believe that one.

GILES: I think that would just make things even tougher for him.

BUFFY: You mean because of what I did with Spike?

GILES: I didn't even consider that. I was thinking more of what he's – I'll just tell you this. While I was here, talking to Angel, it rained fire.

BUFFY: And by saying this you mean?

GILES: Fire fell from the sky. Either that or molten rock. I didn't go outside to check. It fell, like rain, for more than 10 minutes. Evidently this isn't the first time it's happened. Everyone else acted like this was an ordinary occurrence. Ordinary since something they call The Beast came to town.

BUFFY: What kind of beast?

GILES: It's just called The Beast.

BUFFY: That's lame.

GILES: I know. But it also appears to be frighteningly powerful. Like a devil incarnate, from the way they described him.

BUFFY: Would he be part of the First Evil?

GILES: Perhaps. But that doesn't make sense. If the First sent him, why isn't he in Sunnydale?

BUFFY: Maybe he's warming up. Like an out-of-town tryout.

GILES: Buffy he's a demon, not a Broadway musical. I'm thinking he's a diversion. RIght now, little is happening in Sunnydale. Then this Beast appears in Los Angeles. Perhaps the First figured that right now, while we're cooped up and waiting for the next big demon, this Beast might distract us.

BUFFY: So we're bored, Angel's got a problem with a monster wreaking all sorts of havoc, and we go help him kill it. Meanwhile, something truly dangerous comes out of the ground in Sunnydale when we're not around to stop it.

GILES: Precisely. It's a sham apocalypse. Angel certainly thinks it's real. I don't have the heart to tell him the real one's in Sunnydale. He likes to feel important.

BUFFY: Don't I know it.

GILES: Now that everything is sorted out here, I should be heading home pretty soon. How is everyone doing?

BUFFY: The Potentials are happy. Spike's been great for their morale.

GILES: Yes. I bet he has. [rolls his eyes] Just try to maintain discipline. [Molly, Rona and Vi come upstairs to pester Buffy]

VI: Excuse me, uh, Buffy, see, we were thinking, and we kind of wondered –

RONA: Are there boy slayers?

BUFFY: Giles, hold on. What?

MOLLY: Are there any boys our age who fight vampires?

BUFFY: No. Of course not. Can you girls wait one second? I'm talking to Giles.

MOLLY: Can we talk to him?

BUFFY: Giles, the girls want to talk to you.

GILES: By all means put them on.

MOLLY: Mr. Giles, we want to know if there are boys our age who fight vampires.

GILES: That's a . . . very interesting question. [looks inside. sees Connor] Why are you asking me this?

RONA: Let me explain. [takes phone] No offense, but this place is starting to look like a Lifetime movie. We're feeling isolated. We never go out to party or do anything except train. We know Buffy got to date. Why can't we?

VI: [takes phone] And we mean human guys. Our own age. Not like what Buffy does.

GILES: That's a relief. In a way. Obviously the problem is you would put any outsider you met in imminent danger.

MOLLY: [takes phone] That's why we're wondering if you know of any boys our age who already fight vampires. Then it's perfect.

GILES: [looks back inside at Connor] Too perfect. I'm sorry. There are no boy slayers.

MOLLY: Right. We know about the whole Girl Power thing. And that's cool.

RONA: [takes phone] But this is turning into the slumber party that never ends.

GILES: I understand if all of you are suffering from cabin fever by this point. But there is no such thing as a male Chosen One. It doesn't work that way. I'm sorry. Try to hang in there. I'll be back soon. [hangs up] Wesley! My God, what's happened to you?

RONA: I think he's lying to us.

MOLLY: Me too. It just doesn't make sense. There are vampires all over this town.

RONA: They attack people. People fight back. There's gotta be some other people out there who know what's up.

VI: And what about Buffy and her friends? They're not Slayers. Some of them aren't even powerful. But they help her. Why can't we have friends like that?

MOLLY: Giles and Buffy make it sound like being a Slayer is like being a bloody nun. Who are they kidding?

[Amanda, Kennedy and Spike are in the basement]

SPIKE: Ow! Stop staking me!

AMANDA: Relax. That wasn't anywhere near you heart. [stakes him again]

SPIKE: Ow!! That one was! You missed by an inch.

AMANDA: I know. I meant to miss. You heal fast, right? Lemme see the wounds I made, so I can watch how fast you heal. [smiles at him. Spike doesn't know Amanda's picking on him because she likes him.]

KENNEDY: Spiker - if I shoot this crossbow from back here, could you catch the bolt in your hand?

SPIKE: What would be the point of that?

KENNEDY: It would be an experiment. Testing vampire reflexes.

SPIKE: Sounds more like an attempt to kill me.

KENNEDY: If I wanted to kill you I'd shoot you in the back.

SPIKE: What have I ever done to you, Ken?

KENNEDY: Relax, Spiker. I'm just kiddin' with ya. I know if I dusted you Buffy would get mad and beat me up or punish me. Either way, it would suck to be me.

SPIKE: So you'd off me if Buffy didn't mind?

KENNEDY: Nah. You're fun to have around. You have those cool stories. So you were in New York in the late 70s. Did you kill anyone on the Upper East Side? What about at 82nd and Lex? That's the block where my parents lived back in the day. Maybe you saw them.

SPIKE: You want to know if I killed any of your neighbors? [Amanda punches Spike in the stomach] Bloody hell. What was that for?

AMANDA: I didn't hurt you, did I? [puts hand on Spike's stomach. he quickly backs up a few feet] Are you ticklish? I didn't know vampires were ticklish. I killed a vampire.

SPIKE: I know. You've mentioned that on more than one occasion.

AMANDA: His stomach wasn't hard and flat like yours. Do vampires work out? Or since you're dead are you just stuck with the body you had when you were sired?

SPIKE: You're a curious bird.

AMANDA: Can you tell me about how you killed the other Slayers? You seem to fight a lot of Slayers. I thought vampires would try to stay away from Slayers, to keep from getting killed. But you seek them out. Is it because you like fighting girls?

SPIKE: Sometimes I like biting girls who ask me too many questions.

AMANDA: You're funny. Do you fight them because you like them but you can't tell them? And then since Buffy was the one you couldn't kill you ended up telling her how you felt? I've found that sometimes it's like that with boys.

KENNEDY: Thanks for reminding me why I don't bother with them.


	5. The First Evil finds Wesley

[Giles meets Wesley in the Hyperion courtyard]

GILES: Wesley - you look, well, different. Going for the bounty hunter look?

WES: I trust you're here because of my encounter with the Bringers.

GILES: Why would they come after you? You're no longer a Watcher.

WES: Maybe you should tell them that. There were two of them. Decapitated one. Disarmed and knocked out the other. He's locked in a cage at my place. He's not talking. Another few days without foot and water and I'm pretty sure he'll sing.

GILES: You're saying you dealt with two Bringers - by yourself. You, Wesley Wyndham? New look aside, I have my doubts about that. Can you describe the gentlemen who attacked you?

WES: Black-robed. Ritually scarred on the face, especially above and below both eyes. And they each carried two curved daggers. [drops the four knives at Giles's feet. Giles picks two of them up.]

GILES: These look about right. Congratulations Wesley. Sometime in the past three years, you became a man.

WES: Would you like to join the Bringer in his cage? Keep this up, and you might have a choice. [Giles laughs] Rupert, does it look like I'm joking? [stares Giles down]

GILES: Isn't this cheeky. You've turned into Ripper. Or at least you're trying to. How about we both act like adults and leave the threats for the schoolyard.

WES: And leave the silly taunts for the student union. This isn't the Academy.

GILES: Very well then. I trust you've been apprised of developments.

WES: They cut the Council off at the head. Unfortunately for them, it was the head that was rotten. A large-scale terrorist attack in downtown London in broad daylight - you think CNN would be all over that. Or at least the BBC. For Pete's sakes, they blew up a wing of the Foreign Office. Doesn't MI5 or Scotland Yard investigate that sort of thing?

GILES: I too was struck by the overwhelming public indifference. They claimed it was a gas leak! And everyone bought it! Anyway, the operatives have all been liquidated. The Watchers annihilated. I'm the only one left.

WES: You are the Council. Isn't this what you always wanted? A fresh start. The dead wood cleared out. I'm sure you abhor the means. But don't tell me you're not satisfied with the ends.

GILES: That's rubbish. You're completely off your rocker. You know that, don't you?

WES: So what happens now? Let me guess. You gather what's left of the Potentials and place them inside your Sunnydale citadel with Miss Summers. Then what? Wait for Faith to die. Keep the Chosen One, send the nominees packing. Wait for the next batch of nominees to turn up. [grins] Or do you activate all of them. Kill Faith, bring her back a few seconds later. Take the new Slayer, repeat the process, and so on. Before you know it, you've created a New Model Army of Slayers. Don't tell me it hasn't crossed your mind.

GILES: I don't appreciate the Cromwell reference.

WES: Maybe you should. You know what Oliver's problem was? He never groomed a competent successor. After him, it all fell apart. What happens when you go? Or have you even thought about that? You'll need a Watcher training program. Slayers are born. Watchers are made. Someone has to make them.

GILES: Are you applying to be my successor?

WES: Hardly. You go rebuild the Council. I'm too busy saving the world.

GILES: Actually I'm doing both.

WES: Right. I know about the First Evil. A degenerate cult and their mystical parlour tricks. I'm sure Buffy can handle whatever goblins get belched out of that Hellmouth. She's only used up 2 or 3 of her nine lives. You should be planning ahead, taking the longview.

GILES: That's easy for you to say, sitting here outside of the battle.

WES: I'm the one who's in the battle. Rupert, in case you haven't noticed, the venue's changed. You're in Sunnydale, fiddling while Los Angeles burns.

GILES: I see you've lost none of you're imperiousness.

WES: I'm not saying the triumph of the First Evil won't destroy the world. I'm merely saying it will be easier to defeat than The Beast. But that still means it could be pretty bloody difficult. When that Bringer talks, I'll tell you what he says.

GILES: He'll die before he talks.

WES: He'll be tortured before he dies. Everyone talks after enough torture. If my methods fail to do the trick, I can always call in Angel. [Wes doesn't know Angelus tortured Giles]

GILES: Just don't let him near a chainsaw. [Wes looks confused] Perhaps he could bring junior along, teach the boy a few things. He seems like the sort who would enjoy that.

WES: So you've met Connor.

GILES: While he had a knife to my throat. Kid's a natural.

WES: A natural what?

GILES: That I don't know. And probably neither do you.

WES: And probably neither does Connor. [Giles chuckles]

GILES: I was just on the phone with Buffy, and the Potentials wanted to know if there was such a thing as a boy slayer. [Wes gets the joke, snickers] So I'm standing here, looking at Connor, and I'm thinking "as if my job weren't complicated enough." [they both laugh] Can you imagine? [more laughter]

WES: He would do more ravaging than Wallenstein during Thirty Years' War! [Giles laughs at the historical joke.]

GILES: Good one, Wyndham. I would have gone with Papenheim, but witty none the less.

WES: That is, if he's interested in girls his own age.

GILES: Yes, I heard about how Cordelia made a man out of him. And to think, she didn't go for boys his age when she WAS his age. Remember when you worried she was too YOUNG for you.

WES: Fortune always favors the ironist.

GILES: True. Because without irony, their lives and our lives and the lives of everyone else we know would merely be disgusting and odious. If you can't laugh at life, sooner or later you blow your bloody head off.

WES: Or get your throat cut.

GILES: I suppose that's another way of putting it.

WES: Enough small talk. What brings you to this town? Forgive the pun.

GILES: Wild goose chase, actually. Turns out Cordelia's glowing caused a seer to mistake her for a Slayer. Talk about irony!

WES: And now that you've sorted out the misunderstanding, you're heading back?

GILES: Eventually. At the moment things are tranquil in Sunnydale. We're in between existential crises. And there do seem to be some fascinating phenomena in this town. Plus, you have that Bringer. Perhaps we can make him talk.

WES: So you plan to stay awhile. For your own safety, try to be gone before sundown. I know you've seen a lot over the years, but you've seen nothing like this Beast.

GILES: All of you give him raving reviews, but I wonder if his bark is worse than his bite.

WES: You don't want to see his bite. Also, sundown may come earlier than normal today. We believe the Beast is trying to blot out the sun. [Giles laughs] It's not funny. [Giles laughs some more.]

GILES: Of course it is! Haven't any of you seen The Simpsons? That is exactly what Mister Burns did! Ahhh. That's a wonderful show. The only thing worth watching on American television. Sounds like your demon has a sense of humor. [laughs some more] All you need now is to find a baby to shoot him. Then all your problems will be solved!


	6. Lilah saves the day

[Giles and Wesley enter Wesley's apartment.]

GILES: Let's have a look at your hostage. [Wes opens his closet door. Giles looks at the man crouched inside the cage.] It's a Bringer alright. [Wesley closes the door.] So Master Wyndham, how do we play this one? I do good cop, you do bad cop? You seem pretty stuck in the bad cop persona.

[a knock at the door. Wes goes to answer it.]

WES: Wonder who that could be. Probably Lilah. [opens door. it's the Beast. Wes looks terrified and backs up.]

GILES: This must be your Beasty. Certainly looks intimidating. [Beast ignores both Wes and Giles and slowly stomps his way to the closet.] The hoofs are a nice touch. And the horns add an air of menace. Still, he's only a demon.

[Beast opens closet, rips the front off the cage, grabs the Bringer by the neck with his right hand, and lifts him up in the air.]

BEAST: Are you forgetting the deal we have? Your kind stays OUT of MY domain. [sticks left index finger into Bringer's stomach. Bringer groans in agony.]

BRINGER: We are bound by honor to follow the enemy wherever they travel.

BEAST: You are bound by my will. Do you want me to talk to your boss? Do you know what I can do to your boss? Tell me what I can do to your boss. [Beast prepares to poke another hole in the Bringer if he doesn't talk.]

BRINGER: You can kill him. You can destroy him.

GILES: Pardon me Mr. Beast fellow, but who is this boss? And how can you kill an incorporeal entity? It appears the two of us have common adversaries. [Beast sends Giles a withering glance. Then returns his attention to the Bringer.]

BEAST: Your breach is insufficient to warrant wholesale retribution. Yet I cannot allow it to go completely unpunished. [rams the Bringer's head through the ceiling, then slams him to the floor.] Your enemies shall now enjoy immunity if they enter my domains.

BRINGER: Even if our enemies attack you?

BEAST: Your enemies are not powerful enough to harm me.

GILES: Now just one second there! [Beast turns. faces Giles]

BEAST: Who are you to speak to me? I would kill you if you weren't irrelevant.

GILES: You're the irrelevant one, with your sham apocalypse and your Lucifer inferiority complex.

WES: Giles for godsakes! Get a hold of yourself. Have you been listening? He's offering Buffy and the Potentials protection.

GILES: You're right. The immunity pledge. But why?

BEAST: Because you cover my flank. You are my ally.

GILES: I am most certainly not!

WES: In a way you are. It appears the Beast and the First have a sort of rivalry. The First is a nuisance the Beast doesn't want to waste time eliminating. So he's more than happy to have you do it for him.

BEAST: Now I must kill you for your ingratitude.

GILES: Now hold on! What about your promise of immunity?

BEAST: It applies.

GILES: Then how can you kill me?

WES: Did you leave your brain back at the hotel? It was quite obvious the immunity only applied to enemies of the First Evil who entered Los Angeles after he made the pledge. You were already here. Therefore, you're grandfathered out of the agreement.

GILES: What are you, his lawyer?

BEAST: My lawyers are zombies.

GILES: Is that some sort of dadaist social commentary?

WES: He's being quite literal. I'll explain if you find a way not to die.

GILES: You could be a good sport and help me with that. [Beast slowly approaches Giles] Wesley, don't be such a nancy boy. Quite cowering and help me fight this monstrosity. Oh, bloody hell. I'll do it myself.

[Giles grabs samauri sword from the wall. Charges Beast and slashes his chest. The sword shatters on impact. The Beast hits Giles with a right jab to the chest, sending him into an exposed brick wall. Giles grabs a large Saxon ax, and resumes the fight. The Beast throws a right hook. Giles ducks and drives the ax into the Beast's shoulder. It causes no damage. With his right arm the Beast knocks the ax out of Giles's hands. He grabs Giles by the neck with his left hand and lifts him off his feet. Giles flails his feet and struggles with both arms to free himself from the Beast's grasp. It is to no avail. Wesley doesn't know whether he wants to risk his life in a hopeless attempt to save Giles. After all, Giles did bring this upon himself.]

[Lilah enters]

LILAH: I heard the Beast was in the neighborhood. Try using this. [hands Wesley a large gun.]

WES: I've tried firearms. They're useless.

LILAH: You haven't tried this. .50 Caliber high-powered sniper rifle. Shoots a 6-inch long bullet which can pierce armor at 200 yards. These things can take down planes. They should be able to fend off Big Red.

WES: Worth a shot.

[Takes gun, fires into the Beast's chest. Nearly hits Giles. He's not sure what's worse: getting strangled by a demon or shot up by Wesley. Wesley fires a second shot, hitting the Beast in the stomach. He drops Giles, who tumbles to the floor gasping for air. The Beast now focuses on Wesley. Wesley fires four more rounds into the Beast's chest. They don't seem to do much damage, and Wes is having trouble dealing with the weapon's enormous back kick. He fires two more rounds as he tries to circle away from the demon. When the Beast is at point blank range, he puts two bullets into its face. These knock him back a good ten feet. But the empty clip falls out of the gun.]

LILAH: [hands Wesley another clip.] Try the explosive bullets. Maybe they'll make a bigger impression.

[Wesley loads and fires. The Beast charges, but two shots to its chest slow it down. Two more shots to its face seem to actually hurt the demon. The explosions right on top of its eyes are very unnerving. It puts its hands to its face. The Beast turns and walks to the window. He looks down at Giles.]

BEAST: The answer is among you. [then he flies out the window. Giles gets to his feet and shakes off his injuries.]

GILES: What could that mean?

WES: He said the same thing to us. Means someone in your organization is unwittingly serving your enemy.

GILES: But we've already known that for months.

WES: Maybe he just likes the phrase.

GILES: [looks at Lilah] Thanks for you assistance. Wesley wasn't man enough to help me. Fortunately, you were. I don't think I've heard of you?

LILAH: Lilah Morgan.

GILES: Nice to meet you, Miss Morgan. I'm -

LILAH: Rupert Cornelius Eustatius Giles.

WES: Eustatius? [laughs]

LILAH: Battle-scared. Erudite. English. Just how I like my men.

WES: You have GOT to be kidding!

LILAH: What's the matter, Wesley? Jealous? I thought you had lost interest in me.

GILES: So you two -

LILAH: Pity sex. Felt sorry for him. It's in the past.

WES: Now that is just patently absurd.

GILES: I agree. It's absurd that this stunning woman would even give you the time of day. How did you procure such powerful weaponry? Stolen from a military base? Purchased on the black market?

LILAH: You can buy them in just about any gun store.

GILES: Really? But surely the exploding bullets must have been difficult to come by.

LILAH: Over-the-counter. Two dollars a cartridge.

GILES: Well then. For once I am grateful for America's scandalously permissive gun laws.

LILAH: Is that a Bringer with a chest wound crouched down on the floor? What a wimp. I got poked by the Beast and I walked away from it.

GILES: You know about the Bringers?

LILAH: How couldn't I? They've crossed paths with my law firm on three continents. Word of advice: they don't hold up well under torture.

WES: She's a lawyer for an evil law firm.

GILES: Now Wesley. Just because a lawyer defends evil people, or evil corporations, doesn't make them inherently evil.

LILAH: Actually it is an inherently evil law firm. [smiles] We do evil work. For evil clients. And we're planning an apocalypse.

GILES: How terribly cliched.

LILAH: Thank you Dumbledore. How do you think Hogwarts School for Slayers is holding up without it's Headmaster? Aren't you worried Black Magic Woman will try to see what more men look like underneath their skin? Or that Power Puff Slayer will resume getting impaled by the bleached undead? Then who will watch over and protect your precious Chicklets?

GILES: You seem to know an awful lot about me.

LILAH: The intelligence reports from your cow town make for hilarious light reading. Always a great way to relax after a hard day of evil doing. It's fun to read about all the demons who aren't strong enough or bad enough to make it in the big city.

GILES: Seeing as how you like to keep abreast of developments, do you have any information in the First Evil?

LILAH: Do you want to know what it is, what it plans to do, or how to defeat it?

GILES: All three if you don't mind.

LILAH: Why should I do you such a huge favor? What have you ever done for me? [turns around and starts to walk to the door.]

GiLES: Now hold on. We can negotiate. What sort of doing did you have in mind? [Lilah turns around.]

LILAH: Dream on, old man. [Wesley loves that] You have a Slayer. There is a certain vampire offspring we would like to capture and study. Could your Slayer take care of the capturing? I'm sure she could. Angel beats up Connor. Buffy beats up Angel. Shouldn't be too hard for her to knock the boy out. We can handle the rest.

GILES: You cannot be serious.

LILAH: Why not? It's a small price to pay for saving the world. And you don't even have to pay the price. Connor does. And so does Angel, indirectly. As Faustian bargains go it's pretty pain-free. And there are so many wonderful ways it could go down. She has that pseudo-sister. We know Angel likes 16 year-olds. Why wouldn't Connor? He seems to be a fast operator. And I'm guessing Buffy's a very protective pseudo-big sister. She sees Wonder Boy heading for home on his first at-bat, she'll try to put a stop to his fun. They both have violent temperaments. They're both justifiably paranoid of strangers. Not too hard imagining a knock-down, drag-out fight. Buffy knocks Connor down. After she leaves, we drag him out. Hell, she never even has to know what she's a part of. That was just off the top of my head. I'm sure I can think of something even better.

GILES: Don't waste your time.

LILAH: I should have known. You're above that sort of thing. Even though I just saved your life. Suit yourself. I don't need your help to exploit your gang to hurt Angel.

GILES: You really seem to have it in for him. Didn't think hurting a cursed vampire was such a lucrative market.

LILAH: It pays surprisingly well. And mostly we just sit around and watch his own friends and loved ones make his life a living hell. But sometimes it's nice to have people who AREN'T his friends hurt him. Do you know anyone in Sunnydale who isn't Angel's friend? Who might take pleasure in causing him pain? Don't answer that. You're probably a lousy liar. Point is, the train's leaving the station. Whether you're on it or not is your choice. [sidles up to Wesley] All this scheming has got me pretty worked up. And I can tell from here that it's gotten you going as well. Too bad you don't want to see me anymore. Like you said, the world could end any day now. Means if I walk out the door you may never see me again. Oh well. [turns and leaves]

[Wesley and Giles both hang their heads out the door to watch her walk away. Welsey's mouth is open. He's a bit shocked at the way she turned the tables]

GILES: She is certainly something.

WES: Yes. She's definitely that.

GILES: And you had sex with her?

WES: Many times.

GILES: Kudos. Did you ever try to get her to switch over to the good side?

WES: She has too much pride to do that. She made her choice long ago, and she's sticking to it.

GILES: She does have a soul. So I don't see why she couldn't forsake evil.

WES: True. But then she'd be far less fun. Let's face it. When femme fatales become good girls, they lose their sex appeal.

GILES: Quite the paradox you've weaved. You won't date her because she's evil. But if she becomes good, you'll no longer be attracted to her.

WES: It's what I need to do right now. I'm scheming to win the love of another man's woman. I can't properly go about that if I already have a girlfriend.

GILES: My goodness. Your dating is more dangerous than your demon fighting.

WES: They feed off one another. [both men notice the Bringer is beginning to stir.]

[I'll post the next chapter when I get responses to this chapter.]


	7. Are you in the mood for a good torturing

GILES: Are you in the mood for a good torturing?

WES: Always. [they walk over and each of them grabs one of the Bringer's arms.]

GILES: Do you have all the proper tools of the trade?

WES: I have enough. [he drags the Bringer over to the kitchen sink, and turns on the garbage disposal. he tries the force the Bringer's right hand down into the drain. the Bringer struggles mightily.] Giles, can you please help me restrain him?

[Giles grabs the Bringer and Wesley forces his right hand down the drain. He holds the hand just above the blades of the garbage disposal for a few seconds. The Bringer's arm trembles. Then Wesley turns off the disposal. When it goes quiet, Wesley shoves the Bringer's hand to the bottom.]

WES: Giles, put a finger under the power switch. [Giles does this. He realizes what Wesley is doing.] On my command, with a flick of his finger, your hand is no more. Nod once if you understand. That's good. The nice man with his finger on the switch is going to ask you a few questions. If he doesn't think you're telling him all you know, bye-bye right hand. If your remain obstinate, bye-bye left hand. Nod once again if you understand. I thought you would. You cooperate, this won't take long, and everyone will leave happy. Rupert, fire when ready. [Giles is a bit uncomfortable about having the power to maim with the flick of his index finger. But he takes advantage of the opportunity.]

GILES: Who is your boss and how would the Beast fight him?

BRINGER: He's in another dimension. You can't get there. The Beast, he comes and goes in any dimension whenever he pleases. And he's incorporeal. You can't fight him.

GILES: Then how can the Beast fight him?

BRINGER: He's energy. Formless energy. The Beast sucks it up. It becomes a part of him. If that happens, nothing can stop him.

GILES: Then why hasn't he done it already?

BRINGER: Just because he absorbs the energy doesn't mean he can kill it. It becomes a part of him. It retains its own will. The Beast would have to share his body, his brain, with another. He's the go-it-alone type, or haven't you noticed that?

GILES: What is the First Evil planning next?

BRINGER: You can't kill me.

GILES: I bloody well can.

BRINGER: Kill me, and you die. And Wesley with you.

GILES: Pretty big talk for a man in imminent danger of losing half his digits.

BRINGER: I'm unarmed. I can't harm you. If you kill me, there will be retribution. Have either of you heard of the Order of Taraka? We have a deal with them. Anyone takes out one of our men in cold blood, the Order comes down on them hard. And I'm talking the good ones. No maggot-men. None of the third-class hitmen they fop off on their lesser clients. You'll be dead before you know you're in danger.

GILES: But if you have the Order of Taraka in your pocket, why not use them to kill your enemies in the first place?

BRINGER: They don't like to be abused like that. Otherwise every two-bit demon would ring them up when they couldn't kill their nemesis. What they like are honor killings. Enforcing the code. You kill me, you break that code, they enforce it.

GILES: That mean I could pulverize your hand and they wouldn't touch me.

BRINGER: I could always die of shock.

WES: He could be making all of this up.

GILES: Or perhaps he's not. I'm willing to take that chance. Are you? I saw what you did to my friends, my colleagues. To the other Potential Slayers. After all that, do you honestly believe I am above exacting a little payback?

BRINGERS: How do you think an organization such as ours works?

GILES: I ask the questions. You answer them.

BRINGERS: We never see the whole battle plan. We know what they need to fulfill each mission. Nothing more.

WES: So that if one cell is broken it can't rat out the others.

BRINGER: I notice he's the smart one.

[Giles gets mad, flips the switch. Wes had a fraction of a second to anticipate this, and pulled his hand up just in time. The Bringer got frightened until he realized he was in the clear. Giles flipped the disposal off. Wes put the Bringer's hand back in position. Giles realized there was an upside to this. The Bringer now knew Giles was willing to mutilate him. It gave Giles credibility.]

GILES: You're pleading ignorance, then?

BRINGER: I'm pleading limited knowledge. I was hear to kill Wesley. You know that.

WES: Even though I'm not a Watcher?

BRINGER: Maybe I was wrong when I called you the smart one. You're a trained Watcher. You're just not a member of the Council. Well guess what? The Council don't exist no more. Everyone's a free agent. Way we see it, you're as much a Watcher as Torquemada over here.

GILES: Keep talking and a there's a chance you'll keep all your fingers.

BRINGER: I see that twinkle in your eye. Don't deny it. You like this. Having absolute power over another life. That's how it starts. That's how we all started. It's a slippery slope. Before you know it, you're one of us. Wesley appears to be well on his way down that slope. What kind of decent man keeps a cage for humans in his closet? And I know I ain't the first person you put in there.

GILES: I'm not in a patient mood. Get on with it.

BRINGER: Ah yes. My grand confession. What do I know? We're going to try to kill Faith.

GILES: I knew that. What's taken you guys so long?

BRINGER: She's in women's prison you dolt. Like a bunch of armed men, looking the way we look, can enter that sort of place unnoticed. How we're gonna do it, I don't know for sure. I swear! Something about a demon assuming female form going in as one of the prisoners. Nothing you can stop.

GILES: You've been absolutely no help. Now say goodbye to mister pinky.

BRINGER: Wait wait wait! I ain't done yet. First a disclaimer. You must have seen your share of evil plans unhatched over the years. In the end they're always simpler than you had imagined, aren't they? Kind of a letdown.

GILES: That's only natural. The human mind imagines an almost infinite number of possible permutations, only one of which can come to pass. There's bound to be some disappointment.

BRINGER: And furthermore, you know that we're about evil, not power. This Beast guy, he's nothing but brute force. We're so much more than that. Evil doesn't triumph if we just conjure up some giant fire-breathing monster to burn down that white shack you call a headquarters. That's too easy. And it's no fun. If evil's about anything, it's about fun. Otherwise, why bother?

WES: Is this going somewhere? I have a business to run.

BRINGER: Hey be quiet. You're not the one with your finger on the meat-grinder switch. If we throw some super-demon at you guys, you'll just close ranks. It will unite the group. Always does. The goal all along has been to prevent a concentration of your resources. Divide and conquer. And when I say conquer, I don't mean destroy. I mean occupy. Make you one of us. That's the fun part. We try to turn all of you. If we get half of you to roll, we win easy. We get a quarter, you're still done for. Even if we only get one or two, it still means ya gotta fight each other while you're fighting us. And by the way, we don't like the term Trojan Horse. We prefer Fifth Column.

GILES: I do too. But none of the young people have any idea what it means.

WES: So that's it? We're are own worst enemy? That's you grand strategy?

BRINGER: You ARE your own worst enemy. All of you. You'd have to have amnesia not to know that by now.

GILES: I don't think we'll get anything good from him. And can you imagine the mess if I pureed his hand?

WES: The blood would splatter all over the kitchen. I'd be picking bones out of my drain for weeks. [Besides, neither of them have the desire to kill a man, even a sworn enemy, in cold blood.]

GILES: So now what?

BRINGER: Simple. You let me go.

GILES: So you can try to kill us?

BRINGER: Remember what I said to you about honor? You release me, I can't touch you. Otherwise the Order comes after me. And not just me. All the Bringers. Like I said, we live by a code. [Wes pulls his hand out of the disposal.]

GILES: I must admit, you're much more normal than I expected.

BRINGER: Just cause we're evil doesn't mean we're freaks.

WES: Then why the ritual scaring to the face?

BRINGER: It's a bonding experience for the new members. Also, it ensures they never desert. Can't go back into society with a mug like this. Can I have my daggers back?

GILES: So you can kill us?

BRINGER: Remember a little thing called honor? Fine. If you don't trust me, get that gun. If I try anything you can blow me away.

WES: Give him his weapons.

GILES: But? -

WES: [picking up the .50 caliber rifle] Just give him the knives. [Giles does this.]

BRINGER: Thanks guys. It's been a pleasure. And cause you were so nice, I'll tell the other Bringers than when they kill you, they should do it quick, and shouldn't dismember or mutilate your corpses. Like I said - honor.

GILES: Shouldn't honor require them to kill you for getting captured and talking to the enemy?

BRINGER: It's not like I told you anything you couldn't have figured out on your own. Granted, I failed to kill my target. But I know now that Wesley ain't no Watcher no more. I suspect he never really was. You just don't have it in you. The patience. The people skills. The pedagogic instinct. You learn a lot about what it takes to be a Watcher while you're stalking and killing them. And Quentin Travers, your beloved leader, couldn't rise above cliches in his moment of crisis. I detonated the bomb five minutes early cause I couldn't stand to hear any more of his purple prose. So long. [slips out the door, down the stairs, and out the back exit before Giles and Wesley can stop him.]


	8. Damsels and Anointed Ones

[Wes and Giles. In Wesley's apartment.]

WES: That certainly wasn't what I expected from a Bringer.

GILES: Talk about the banality of evil.

WES: I should call Angel. Tell him about seeing the Beast. [picks up phone. Gunn and Fred enter. Wes puts down phone.]

FRED: We heard the Beast was in the area.

WES: In the area? He was in my living room. Where is Angel?

GUNN: Takin' the sewers. He'll be here soon. Who's the old guy?

GILES: [mutters] I'm young enough to still have all my hair.

WES: This is Rupert Giles. A former colleague of mine.

GILES: I fought the Beast while Wesley cowered in the corner.

FRED: You don't look like you fought the Beast. You're in one piece, and you ain't bruised all over.

WES: I saved his neck.

GILES: Like hell! You were going to let me die until that Lilah woman came over with the big gun and the exploding bullets.

GUNN: Damn, that's a nice piece of hardware. [picks up gun, looks it over. Fred also checks it out.]

FRED: .50 caliber, long-barreled, air-cooled, high-powered semi-automatic. Firing mechanism's a little sticky. Barrel needs to be cleaned. Sight appears to be two degrees off-center. Nothing a little routine maintenance couldn't fix. [Gunn and Wes both look shocked.] I did a little huntin' back in Texas. Won the youth division tri-county target shooting championship when I was 13. Daddy always said I was a natural shot. [Gunn and Wes are both oddly turned on by Fred's apparent proficiency with firearms.]

GILES: Sorry, but I didn't catch your names.

GUNN: Charles Gunn.

FRED: Winifred Burkle.

GILES: My, what expressive and symbolic names you have. Pleasure to meet you both. You two work for Angel?

GUNN: WITH Angel.

FRED: We kinda run the business, since Angel's so caught up with all his personal matters.

GILES: Of course. That's understandable. Considering - [Angel runs in]

ANGEL: Did you see it?

GILES: I did a lot more than that. What are you doing with that sword? You plan to fight the Beast with that thing?

ANGEL: It's my favorite broadsword.

GILES: That may be so, but you should know from experience that it is also the LAST weapon you should be attacking this Beast with. I learned that about three seconds into our battle. You might as well try to kill him with a wet noodle. That demon's got armour for skin. A slashing sword won't leave so much as a scratch. An ax would be better. But what you really need is a bludgeoning tool. A hammer. To drive him backward, maybe even knock him down. Buffy has this very heavy Hammer of Thor which proved of great value against Glory. That's the sort of weapon you need.

GUNN: More bashing, less slashing. I'm down with that.

FRED: He does make a lot of sense. It's simple physics. With a sword like that, the force of the blow is dissipated over the entire length of the blade. You need a weapon which concentrates your energy in a single location. Like a sledgehammer. Or a high-powered rifle with exploding rounds. You do have the exploding rounds, right? Those puppies pack quite a punch. One of em can blow apart a tree trunk. Or so I've heard.

WES: The ordinary rounds distracted the Beast. The exploding rounds, when shot into his face, actually appeared to hurt the creature. At the very least they annoyed him and caused him to flee.

ANGEL: What was the Beast doing in your apartment?

WES: He was after the Bringer I had captured. Apparently the Beast and the First Evil have some sort of turf war. The Beast was upset that one of the First's agents was in his city. Threatened to kill the First Evil for this breach of protocol.

ANGEL: So the Beast is more powerful than the First Evil. I told you it was, Rupert.

GUNN: What's the First Evil?

ANGEL: Something they're fighting down in Sunnydale.

GUNN: Oh. A suburban Big Bad. A mini-Big Bad.

GILES: I'll have you know there is nothing miniature about it.

GUNN: Chill pops. I'm sure it's a big deal in your little town.

GILES: You people are so insufferably arrogant. I'd like to see any of you last a month on top of the Hellmouth. Bloody amateurs.

ANGEL: Have any of you seen Connor?

GUNN: I thought he was with you.

ANGEL: Oh no. He's all alone, and the Beast is probably going after him.

CONNOR: He wasn't. But another demon was.

ANGEL: Connor! You're okay. What demon was it?

CONNOR: Don't know. Had a funny looking face. Called me the Anointed One. Tried to kill me. I took its head off. [shows them the severed head of the Bringer.]

ANGEL: Connor, what did I tell you about taking trophies?

WES: I believe that's our Bringer.

GILES: Splendid work, young man.

ANGEL: He called you the Anointed One?

CONNOR: Yeah. What does that mean?

GILES: He tried to kill you? So it's a good thing. Not that I welcome someone making an attempt on your life. But since he's evil, and since he's part of an all-consuming evil, he recognized you as a powerful force for good. Unlike, say, that other Anointed One. The child who worked for the vampire your mummy and daddy used to work for.

CONNOR: You mean the Master?

ANGEL: How do you know about the Master?

CONNOR: Holtz told me about him. How he sired mother and taught both of you to be the wickedest of Satan's creatures. Is he dead?

GILES: Yes. Dead as dust.

CONNOR: That's what Holtz thought. He said the Master was powerless without his two proteges. And that without the Master, and with mother gone, there would be no one left to protect you.

ANGEL: I don't need protection.

GILES: You seem to forget all those times Buffy saved your life when you lived in Sunnydale. I recall at least two occasions when you were utterly helpless and unable to defend yourself.

WES: And if I hadn't come to the rescue you would still be trapped on the ocean floor. Guess even champions can sometimes be damsels.

CONNOR: But what does it mean? Anointed One?

WES: I'll have to do some research. We always knew you were very special. This could give us a clue as to how special.

ANGEL: Who would have anointed him?

WES: Maybe you did. Remember the earthquake? The fire. You fled the room. Some debris hit you, and your head was bleeding profusely. Connor was barely two months old. You held him in your arms. And large drops of your blood fell down onto him. That could be considered an anointing of sorts. [Wes remembered it so vividly because it was the moment he became convinced Angel was going to kill Connor. Now he had found a way to put a positive spin on that moment.]

CONNOR: That's sick. You're saying I was baptized in his blood?

WES: Not literally. Certainly not intentionally. But it's the only thing which comes to my mind. And it makes sense symbolically. You were born to be a champion. To follow in your father's footsteps.

CONNOR: You're saying I'm going to be like him? That's not good. That sucks.

ANGEL: That just means you're going to fight evil. That you're a champion. But then I already knew that.

GILES: Who started this champion nonsense? Have you abandoned all pretense of modesty and reserve? By the way, can I have that head? [Connor tosses it to Giles] Thank you. This will be very good for morale. We can toss it to his mates next time they come round, as a warning of sorts. [gets worried looks from Wes and Angel] Oh come on! He murdered my friends and colleagues. I'm entitled to a tiny scintilla of blood lust. They're evil, for crying out loud! [looks at head] What exactly did you cut it off with?

CONNOR: I didn't cut. I twisted. Snapped his neck. Thing fell right off.

ANGEL: That can happen with humans. If you don't let go before the follow-through.

GILES: I forgot about your neck-snapping days. Thanks for that most unwelcome reminder. [looks at the windows] Why are the shades closed? Shouldn't they be open so we can see what havoc you Beast may be wreaking? Seems like the prudent thing to do. [opens windows. Ray of sunlight shines on Angel, causing his right hand to catch fire. He grimaces and moves to the corner of the room, putting it out. Giles glances at Angel, letting him know this was his way of making Angel pay for reminding him what Angelus did to Jenny. Connor smirks. He remembers this trick for later.]

[Lorne barrels in. He's obviously distressed.]

LORNE: Why are you always in the last place I think of looking? Cordy's gone.

CONNOR: Was it the Beast?

LORNE: Yes. But not exactly. She had a vision he was holding her captive. San Pedro dockyards. Warehouse on Pier 21a. About 45 minutes from now. She figured why fight fate, and decided to beat him to the punch. She went down there to wait for him, and sent me to tell all of you.

ANGEL: I don't get it. Why didn't she come here so we could protect her?

LORNE: She said she wanted to be "proactive."

GILES: Wouldn't surrendering be the antithesis of proactive?

FRED: It's not surrender. It's thinking two moves ahead. This is actually the least dumb thing Cordy's done since she came back.

LORNE: That's really not saying much, pumpkin.

[Everyone grabs their weapons and leaves. Angel takes the tunnels. Fred and Gunn go in Gunn's truck. Wes goes in his own car, with his arsenal in the trunk. Giles takes his beamer. Lorne heads with his new amigo Giles. So does Connor. He's still trying to figure out this new English guy. This creates some tension, given Lorne's dislike of the demon spawn. Lorne rides shotgun. Connor's in back. Giles calls Buffy at school to give an update.]

GILES: Buffy, it appears I'll be detained here for a little while longer. I'm helping Angel fight a particularly bothersome demon. It's a long story, and it involves the torture and beheading of a Bringer, but I don't have time to explain. You need not worry. I'll be back before dark.

BUFFY: So the Slayer search was a wild goose chase.

GILES: Yes, but it's become so much more than that. Right now I'm driving with two gentlemen who grew up in demon dimensions, and only one of them is a demon.

BUFFY: That sounds farfetched even by my standards. But I have to go. [she hangs up]

WOOD: Just the person I wanted to talk to.

BUFFY: Hey there, Principal Wood.

WOOD: Please, it's Robin. I've been batting around an idea in my head which is so crazy I figured you were the only person who could take it seriously.

BUFFY: That was a strange non-good sort of compliment.

WOOD: I feel an unexplainable urge to fill the basement immediately below my office with concrete. Make it solid from my floor to the bedrock. I don't know why. Something about the void beneath my feet makes me nervous. What's your take on this?

BUFFY: I, uh, think, well, it's not a bad idea at all. Follow your instincts on this one.

WOOD: So you see nothing irrational about my intuition that I'm perched on top of some vacuum which could suck me down to my doom?

BUFFY: Just because it seems irrational doesn't mean it's not absolutely, positively, 100% correct. Have you noticed anything in particular down there? Beneath you?

WOOD: Just I vibe I keep getting. I've always had a fear of underground spaces. Ever since my mother was murdered on the subway.


	9. The Power of the Powerless

[At the pier. The warehouse is about 200 feet long, 80 feet wide and 60 feet high. Cordy's arms are in shackles against the back (West) wall, which is closest to the water. The Beast walks in through the front door at the opposite (East) end.]

CORDY: What took you so long?

BEAST: I knew you were on my side.

CORDY: Is this your plan? Kill me with smugness?

BEAST: You're no good to me dead. [Sticks a finger in between her ribs. Pokes around. Does it again. Cordy cries out in pain] They can't hear you. Even if they could, it would not matter. [Beast steps back. He looks a bit puzzled. He thrusts the four fingers on his right hand into her stomach. She screams in agony.] I thought you'd be a screamer. Angelus always loved a screamer. [He takes his hand out. Cordy's in great pain.] They did a very good job of hiding it in you. This will take longer than I planned. Which is very bad. For you. [flies up and out the roof. Cordy's alone and seriously injured.]

[In Giles's car, on the way to the port]

CONNOR: Why do they call you Watcher?

GILES: A Watcher trains the Slayer, hones their skills.

CONNOR: You teach them about vampires?

GILES: Yes, among other things.

CONNOR: You're English, right?

GILES: Yes I am. Why?

CONNOR: So was Holtz. He's the one who taught me how to hunt and fight. He also taught me about vampires. But he didn't watch. He fought, until he was much older than you are. Do you fight?

GILES: Only when I have to. Which is quite often, actually.

CONNOR: Then why do they call you Watcher?

LORNE: We just seem to be going around in circles.

CONNOR: Is it because you watch the Slayers when they fight?

GILES: Yes. We've already covered that.

CONNOR: Why don't you help them?

GILES: That's like asking why Lorne doesn't help you when you're fighting. No offense.

LORNE: None taken, cupcake. I'm a lover, not a fighter.

GILES: The Slayer is many times stronger than I am. Stronger than any man.

CONNOR: Stronger than me?

GILES: I'm not sure. Hopefully it will never come to that. [GIles briefly envisions Buffy clobbering Connor.] They are, to use your father's pompous parlance, champions of champions.

CONNOR: I heard you talking to Wesley in the courtyard.

GILES: You couldn't have. I saw you inside.

LORNE: Vampire ears.

GILES: Right. One of your many inherited vestigial traits.

CONNOR: He said you don't get a new one till the old one dies. But you don't know who the new one will be, so you're finding all the girls who could be next. What happens to the others?

GILES: Most Potentials never become Slayers.

CONNOR: But they still fight vampires.

GILES: No. That would be suicide. They lack Slayer power.

CONNOR: So do Cordy and Fred. So do Wes and Gunn. But they fight. So did Holtz. Everyone I know fights. None of them are Slayers. Sounds like where you're come from Slayers are the only ones who fight. Doesn't make sense.

GILES: Connor, I understand your point of view. But you need to realize that your point of view is extremely limited. You've been under attack since the moment you were born. You've had to fight just to survive. No one else can say that.

LORNE: What about that girl with the phony memories? The precious thing Buffy died to save from the Goddess of Tackiness. Sounded like she had it pretty rough. Uh, Rupert, this our exit. [Giles slams on the brakes and swerves into the off-ramp.]

GILES: Well. That is a provocative if deeply flawed analogy. [Giles is spooked by what Lorne was implying. The he remembers his image of Buffy thrashing Connor. Realizes this is what would happen Connor ever tried to get with Buffy's kid sis. The image comforts him.]

[Gwen enters the warehouse.]

GWEN: What you doing here?

CORDY: What am I? – they sent YOU? I don't believe this!

GWEN: You're hurt.

CORDY: Ya think? [Gwen rushes over]

GWEN: Whoa. You're hurt bad. Who did this?

CORDY: Take a wild guess.

GWEN: The Beast? He's the one who put you here?

CORDY: Gosh. You're smarter than you look. Course that's pretty easy in your case. Why are you here? Did Angel tell you?

GWEN: I'm supposed to meet a client here.

CORDY: Oh well. Sorry to disappoint.

GWEN: I was gonna save you, but if this is how you'll show your thanks –

CORDY: How were you going to do that?

GWEN: How do you think? [takes off left glove]

CORDY: Sorry. I forgot you're a walking jumper cable. [she did remember who Gwen would like to jump.] Uh oh. You better hurry. He's coming. [Gwen puts a finger to one of the chains in order to melt it. Right when she makes contact, the Beast drops in through the roof. He lands with a might thud. Gwen turns to face him. She pulls off her other glove.]

GWEN: I've been waiting the get my hands on you. [She puts her hands on his chest and shocks him. He hardly notices.]

BEAST: You make sparks. Cute. [Gwen backs away in fear. The Beast knocks her out with a left hook. He grabs her, and tosses her headfirst through the back wall. Gwen tumbles unconscious into the water. Her fingertips send electricity coursing through the saltwater. The self-electrocution causes Gwen to regain consciousness. She reaches her hands out of the water, kicks her way to the pier, grabs hold and pulls herself back on dry land. She's still a bit dazed from the blow the Beast gave her.]

[The Beast pours blood in a semicircle around Cordy. Then he sprinkles powder on top of the blood. He begins chanting, but Angel interrupts. He races into the warehouse with his coat over his head.]

ANGEL: Cordy! Cordy what did he do to you?

BEAST: Angelus. Thought you knew not to go out in the sunlight. [Angel runs toward Cordy and the Beast.] Do you two want to be alone? One last final goodbye? [Angel puts his hand to Cordy's face.]

CORDY: Angel I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done this all alone.

ANGEL: It's okay. Just hang in there. I'll get you free.

CORDY: I love you Angel. I always have. [The Beast stands to the side and chuckles at the pathos. Connor enters. He sees Angel with Cordy. He heard what she said. The tenderness stings him. Giles and Lorne enter a few seconds later.]

BEAST: I always love an audience. [When he turns to look at the new arrivals, Angel hits him in the side of the skull with a sledgehammer. Then he hits him in the chest. Angel swings the hammer around and goes for the Beast's head. He grabs the hammer and rips it out of Angel's arms. With an uppercut swing of the hammer he clocks Angel in the jaw, sending him hurtling back towards Connor. The Beast throws the hammer at Giles. It spins end-over-end and hits Giles in the skull. He falls to the ground. The Beast leaps straight in the air and pushes part of the roof away. When he lands, there's an area exposed to direct sunlight that extends 30 feet in front of her and 15 feet to either side of her.]

LORNE: Rupert are you okay? Can you hear me?

GILES: I'm the one who suggested the hammer in the first place. Blasted irony.

[Connor heedlessly runs toward the Beast. He's desperate to save Cordy. He's also filled with rage because of what he saw transpire between Cordy and Angel. He wants to be save her before Angel gets the chance.]

BEAST: Are you sure I'M the demon you want to fight, Connor?

CONNOR: You leave Cordy alone.

BEAST: Again, I think you are confusing me with your father. [Connor lands a flying spin kick to the Beast's face, then a roundhouse to his chest, then a right uppercut to his chin. The Beast stands still. The blows have no effect. Connor lands a left hook to the side of the Beast's face. When he throws a right, the Beast reaches out his left arm and grabs Connor's right wrist. He lifts Connor into the air.]

BEAST: When have I ever attacked you? Never. [lands two thundering right jabs to Connor's left cheek. Tosses him 40 feet in the air. Connor lands on his feet. He smiles, thinking the Beast expected the throw to hurt him. He didn't. When Connor takes one step towards the Beast, he pounds Connor with left jab that sends him flying into the south wall. Connor gets up right away. He runs at the Beast and leaps in the air. Connor lands on the back of the Beast's shoulders. Connor grabs the demon's head, trying to snap his neck. He reaches up, grabs Connor's head, and throws him down on the ground in front of the Beast. Connor lands head first, leaving a dent in the concrete floor. He gets to his feet and turns to face the demon. The Beast strides forward and kicks Connor with his right hoof. Connor flies all the way across the warehouse. He hits the front (east) wall about 30 feet in the air. Connor falls to the floor but lands on his feet. He charges right back across the warehouse to resume his fight. Meanwhile, Gunn and Fred arrive.]

GILES: I must say, he is frighteningly durable.

GUNN: The Beast?

GILES: No, Connor.

GUNN: I'm down with you on that.

[Angel's also disturbed by his son's self-destructive persistence. But Connor makes it to the sunny area around the Beast before Angel can stop him. Even Cordy, in all her agony, feels sorry for the boy. His nose and mouth are bleeding, and the entire left side of his face is red. Connor brandishes an ax.]

ANGEL: Why the hell didn't you use that the last time!? [Connor leaps about 15 feet in the air. He comes down on the Beast and drives the ax into the demon's skull.]

LORNE: Who knew a white boy could jump like that?

GUNN: Hey, that's my line! [The ax is stuck in the demon's head. Connor lands without it. The Beast slowly reaches up his left arm to pulls it out. Connor quickly retreats. The Beast holds the ax as if he plans to throw it. Connor smiles. His teeth are red. The Beast lets it fly. Connor leaps in the air. He reaches down with his right arm and grabs the ax when it passes between his legs. He comes down with the ax.]

FRED: That was even cooler than the last time.

GILES: He's done this sort of thing before?

GUNN: It's a smaller ax, from farther away. I say the other time was tighter.

[Connor smiles again. Then he tosses the ax to the ground. Without his weapon, he charges at the Beast again. He leaps in the air, spins counterclockwise, and tries a left kick. The Beast grabs Connor's left foot with his right hand and throws Connor to the floor. Connor gets up and pulls out a dagger. He turns around and runs away from the Beast, and towards the north wall. At first the Beast pursues, then he stops. Connor takes a few steps up the wall and does a backflip. When he passes over the Beast, he's upside-down. He stabs the Beast in the right eye. He lands behind the Beast. When the demon turns, Connor kicks him in the right eye, trying to drive the blade in further. The Beast pounds Connor with left and right hooks. Connor falls to his knees. The Beast punches him in the spine, knocking Connor face-down on the ground. He stomps Connor twice in the back with his right hoof, and once with the left hoof. The Beast reaches down and picks up Connor, who by now is limp and powerless to resist.

The Beast tosses Connor up threw the roof. Connor plunges back through another section of the roof and lands on his back at the east end of the warehouse with a hideous thud. Giles, Lorne, Gunn and Fred are nearby. They all wince and turn away to avoid seeing the awful impact. After about five seconds Connor struggles to his feet. Angel runs over to him. The Beast takes the dagger out of his eye and sticks it in Cordy's chest, just below her heart.]

CONNOR: No!! [He starts to run back towards her to help.]

GILES: Oh, for God's sakes! [Angel grabs him, and does everyone else. They can't bear to watch him take any more punishment.]

CONNOR: I got him pretty good, didn't I? [His legs buckle, and Gunn and Fred grab him from behind, breaking his fall.]

ANGEL: You need to rest. Connor, how are you? Is anything broken?

CONNOR: Not much. I'm a little dizzy.

GILES: You've been very brave. But now we need to get you to a hospital.

CONNOR: What's that?

ANGEL: It's where they fix whatever's broken inside you.

CONNOR: I fix myself. [Wesley enters with his big gun.]

WES: Did I miss anything? What happened to Connor?

CONNOR: Why are you all around me like this?

ANGEL: Get back. Give him some air. Just stay with us, Connor. Do you feel like you're going to pass out?

CONNOR: I don't know what that feels like.

ANGEL: Do you feel like you're going to go to sleep?

CONNOR: Why would I be tired? It's the middle of the day.

WES: The Beast is beginning some sort of incantation. We have to stop him.

CONNOR: Really? Ya think!? [Gwen comes running in. Giles sees her out of the corner of his eye.]

GILES: Faith? How did you? Oh. You're not Faith.

GWEN: Sorry to disappoint you, jeeves.

ANGEL: Why are you soaking wet?

GWEN: It's a look. You like? Then thank the Beast. That thing tossed me through a wall and into the water. Now that I have backup maybe I'll take another shot and melting those shackles.

GILES: And just how do you propose to do that?

GWEN: With the tips of my fingers. I'm electric. Name's Gwen. Are you my new butler? You're a lot cuter than my last one.

GILES: [smiles bashfully] Well, thank you Gwen, but no, I'm a demon fighter like the rest of these fine folks. Except I have vastly more experience than any of them. Now then, we do a full-on assault. Use the gun for cover. The rest of us keep the Beast distracted while the lady in red does what she claims she can do. If we're lucky, we might even be able to lure the demon out into the shadows where Angel can operate.

ANGEL: This is my part I do the strategizing around here.

GILES: That was tactics, not strategy. Do you have a problem with my plan?

ANGEL: No. Not really. Just go. [The Beast is facing them as he chants. Wesley moves forward and fires two shots. Both miss the Beast by inches, and Cordy by a few feet. They make holes in the west wall near Cordy. The light hits Angel and he moves out of the way.]

CORDY: Why are you shooting at me?

FRED: [grabs Wes] Give me the gun.

WES: Why should I – ?

FRED: Because I know how to aim. [grabs gun]

WES: Are you even sure you can handle such a heavy – ? [Fred's first shot hits the Beast right between the eyes. The second round explodes inside his mouth. Then the clip falls out.

FRED: Dammit! Wes! Where's your ammo? [Fred's marksmanship provides them with the perfect opening to mount an attack. Giles comes at the Beast with the sledgehammer. Gunn with an ax. They strike simultaneously. The Beast grabs the hammer with his right hand, and the ax with his left. He knocks Giles and Gunn aside. Meanwhile, Gwen slipped by him and got to Cordy. The Beast turns and walks towards her. Wes pulls out two pistols and unloads, peppering the demon's back with bullets. But they do no damage. He swings for Gwen's head. She ducks, and sweeps the demon's right leg out from under him. He goes down on one knee. Gwen gets back up and reaches for the shackles. The Beast grabs her neck from behind.

BEAST: Did you really think it would be that easy? [hurls her into the south wall. The Beast walks forward. Fred comes at him with a hauberk. He punches her aside. Giles and Gunn resume their attack. He knocks them both down. The Beast looks bored. He walks east, out into the shadows, where Angel can fight him. Angel blocks the Beast's right hook. Angel hits him twice in the face. He duck's the Beast's left jab, and connects with a spin kick. Angel throws a right. The Beast grabs his fist. He throws a left. The Beast grabs his other fist. Angel goes bumpy. The Beast squeezes on Angel's fists. Angel growls and struggles to keep from being overpowered. He digs in his feet and holds his ground. The Beast lowers his head. He gores Angel in the right shoulder with his left horn. Then he flings Angel backwards and to the ground.

ANGEL: Is that all you got? [Beast leaps through the roof and drops back in, making two more holes along the center spine of the roof. The steel supports buckle and begin crashing to the ground. The tin sheeting slides away, and then all the supports tumble down. Everyone ducks for cover. Gored by the Beast and burned by the sun, Angel flees to the shade of the shadow provided by the south wall. As the dust settles, the Beast returns to Cordy and finishes his incantation. A forcefield goes up around the semicircle he drew when he entered. Wes moves towards him and fires a few more shots. They can't penetrate the barrier.]

WES: We can't break through that.

GWEN: I can. It's an electro-magnetic field. I can feel it. This is what I do best. [She goes up and puts out her right hand. A few seconds later she flies backwards through the air. When she lands, her temples are smoking.] Bastard. It's too strong. Even for me. [Frustrated, she puts her gloves back on. Everyone feels beaten down, because everyone has been beaten down. Although Wes and Lorne weren't hit by the Beast, both hit by large pieces of falling steel. Everyone retreats out the door on the east end. Angel has his coat over his head and sprints to a nearby awning. The others limp over to join him. Fred sees the deep and wide gash where Angel was gored.]

FRED: Angel, your shoulder.

ANGEL: It's nothing. It doesn't matter. Don't worry about me.

CONNOR: I'm worried about Cordy.

ANGEL: We'll get her. Just as soon as we think of a new plan.

GILES: It's about power.

GUNN: Yeah, and the Beast's got more than we do.

GILES: He uses our powers against us. The harder we come, the harder we fall.

LORNE: [dismissively] Well thank you Jimmy Cliff.

GILES: Whom has he hurt the most? Those of us with the most power. Connor. Angel and Gwen. Gwen – you're electric. And he shocks you. Connor's a great leaper. So he throws Connor. He uses your powers against you. He almost seems to welcome your challenges. And whom among us are the least injured? The powerless. He could have bashed my brains with a single blow. But he didn't. That is his weakness. That is how we defeat him. The power of the powerless.

WES: Vaclav Havel wrote that. You think he has the answer?

ANGEL: No. That would just be way too cool.

GWEN: Who is this guy and why is he going all Zen Master?

GILES: Sit tight. I'll be right back to explain. [He walks away, looks around the dockyards.] Of course! [takes out his phone, calls Buffy's house. Willow answers.] Hello Willow. Are Xander and Anya there?


	10. Xander to the Rescue

GILES: [takes out his phone, calls Buffy's house. Willow answers.] Hello Willow. Are Xander and Anya there?

WILLOW: Yes, I'll go get –

GILES: Not yet. Listen and do what I tell you. Get pen and paper. Right this down. San Pedro port. Pier 21a. That's where I am. Go tell Xander and Anya to get here as soon as possible. Just them. Only them. Tell them my life depends on it. And tell Xander to grab the rocket launcher and whatever spare rockets we still have. Go do that and then come back. I need to talk to you.

WILLOW: W-w-wait! Your life!? Shouldn't I get Buffy?

GILES: Do not tell Buffy. Only tell Xander and Anya. Do as I say. I don't have time to explain. [Willow can tell Giles is serious by the tone in his voice. She runs and tells them.]

XANDER: What about Buffy!?

WILLOW: Just you two. He was very specific.

ANYA: Why us?

WILLOW: I don't know why. Just go! [they leave, frightened and perplexed. Willow goes back to the phone.] Giles what the hell is wrong?

GILES: Relax. My life is not in danger. Cordelia's life is. I just figured they'd get here faster to save me. Right now, I need your help. What do you know about extraction spells to remove something from a demon which had been acquired in another dimension?

WILLOW: Extraction spells? I know a few things. What does this have to do with Cordelia?

GILES: She is the one the spell is being performed on.

WILLOW: That's impossible. Unless – unless she's a demon who's been to another dimension.

GiLES: I know.

WILLOW: Cordy's a demon? Wow! Xander really knows how to pick em. But this morning Buffy was joking about Cordy being a demon.

GILES: It's not a joke.

WILLOW: Does that mean the joke about Angel having a son wasn't a joke?

GILES: It does, I'm afraid.

WILLOW: Well now. That's just . . . impossible.

GILES: Forget about that.

WILLOW: Gladly.

GILES: Cordelia has been to one of the heavenly dimensions, where she was briefly a type of Higher Being with omniscience.

WILLOW: How? And whose idea was it to make Queen C a demigod?

GILES: Someone with great sense of irony. Anyway, she must have been imbued with some higher energy which a very powerful demon is currently trying to extract out of her. Do you have any idea how long such a spell can take?

WILLOW: Oh, poor Cordy. Extraction spells aren't pretty. Has he cut her?

GILES: Yes.

WILLOW: Punctures or lacerations?

GILES: Punctures.

WILLOW: How many?

GILES: Several. I'm not sure. Does it matter?

WILLOW: Well yes! Why the heck do you think I'm asking?

GILES: One moment please. [runs back to the awning.] Did anyone see how many wounds Cordelia has?

ANGEL: There were six holes in her chest.

CONNOR: Plus my knife. So seven.

GILES: Thank you. [walks away] Seven wounds. Does that help you?

WILLOW: Yes. That helps a lot. I know the spell. And poor, poor Cordy. That spell takes two to three hours, usually. If the guy's super-powerful he could pull it off in a little over ninety minutes. And it gets worse. There's slicing and mutilation and I don't even know what else. Poor Cordy.

GILES: So we have time. There's a forcefield protecting him.

WILLOW: That's coming down. Can't keep that up for more than an hour while doing such a major spell. Magic doesn't multi-task.

GILES: You sure?

WILLOW: Trust me.

GILES: Thank you. Your help has been indispensable. Don't tell Buffy. Don't tell anyone. If they ask where Xander and Anya are, make something up. They can't help, so they don't need to know.

WILLOW: What kind of demon is it?

GILES: A kind I've never seen before. Rock-hard red skin, cloven feet, horns. He flies. Imagine a giant Glory. Oh, and he can make it rain fire.

WILLOW: That's out of even my league. Sure, I know how, but it throws the four elements so far out of whack you have to access primal energies from hard-to-contact dimensions just to maintain the balance and even when I was evil I couldn't pull that off. Believe me, I tried.

GILES: Once again, thank you for your help. I couldn't do this without you. You need not worry. I am going to save her. Then I'll be back tonight without a scratch on me. And the same goes for Xander and Anya. [hangs up, walks over to the others.] It should take the Beast between 90 and 120 minutes to complete the extraction spell. The forcefield will come down in about an hour. In the meantime, you need to re-arm, re-group and recover from your injuries. We need to be fresh when the time comes to save her. [walks away to make another call.]

GWEN: Is that guy your boss?

FRED: We need ammo. Charles, Wes, let's go find some. [they leave. It's Wesley's gun, and no way Charles will let Wes be alone with Fred.]

ANYA: Can't you drive any faster?

XANDER: I'm going 80!

ANYA: Then go 90. I'd like to get there in time to save Giles from a horrible, bloody death.

XANDER: Why does he only want us? Why not Buffy?

ANYA: I don't know. Giles is going to die, and I never got the chance to tell him I loved him. [car swerves, tires screech]

XANDER: I knew it!!! I always suspected you had feelings for him.

ANYA: No, not those feelings. It's not orgasm love. He is quite yummy for a wrinkled man, but I like to eat the fruit when it's fresh. It's non-orgasm love. The sort of love you feel for him.

XANDER: I don't love Giles!

ANYA: The man is dying, and you're getting defensive and denying your feelings? We all love him. You, me, Buffy, Willow, Dawn. Not Spike. But the rest of us do. [a tear wells up in her eye] And I'm going to miss him.

XANDER: [speeds up] We're going to save him. I don't know how. But Willow said Giles had faith in us. And only us. We can't let him down.

[Giles paces back and forth, working out the details of his grand plan of attack. He sings The Kinks' "Waterloo Sunset" as he thinks.]

GILES: "Dirty old river, must you keep rolling, rolling into the night – "

LORNE: Whoa! Hey Rupert, that's not a bad –

GILES: Not a bad what?

LORNE: Singing voice you have. No wait. That's not what I meant.

GILES: You don't like my voice?

LORNE: No. It's very good. But I meant your plan. It's crazy with a capital K. But crazy's been the norm round here since Beastie Boy showed up.

GILES: How did you? You stole my thoughts! I should have known. I was going to wait until everybody was back. But if you must, blab away. [Giles walks off on his own.]

GWEN: Why is jeeves such a freaking drama queen?

ANGEL: This is not like Rupert.

LORNE: He thinks he's in charge.

ANGEL: What!? That's a laugh. He's not even in charge in Sunnydale.

LORNE: He does have a rather imaginative plan for saving Cordy. However, the whole thing depends on someone named Xander.

ANGEL: Oh God. That proves it. Giles has lost his mind.

[Giles calls Xander's cell phone.]

ANYA: What is that horrible noise?

XANDER: It's my phone. Pick it up.

ANYA: Anything to stop that wretched racket. I told you to change your ring. It's awful enough to bring down vengeance. I'm not joking. Hello? Giles! We love you!! And we're not going to let you die.

GILES: I'm not the one in danger.

ANYA: You're not!? You tricked us! We hate you, Giles.

XANDER: Why do we hate Giles?

ANYA: He lied to us. He's fine.

GILES: Cordelia is the one in danger.

ANYA: Why didn't you say that before now?

GILES: Would you have driven as fast for Cordelia?

ANYA: Well, no. But that's because we don't care about her. Xander, get this. We raced here to save Cordelia.

XANDER: What? Why?

GILES: It's actually a rather funny story, up until the point where Cordelia's in chains. [Giles explains everything. It takes a few minutes.]

XANDER: Cordy's a demon. Well of course she is. I DATED HER! It all makes perfect sense.

ANYA: You're a retroactive demon magnet.

XANDER: This clinches it. I'm going gay!

ANYA: Maybe you can hit on Angel. You want to date male demons. And do you know a more attractive male demon than Angel?

XANDER: Well no, but – that's sick! I hate Angel.

ANYA: And he hates you. With a passion. You and Cordy hated each other with a passion until you fell passionately in lust. That's how these things work.

GILES: What's going on?

ANYA: I'm playing matchmaker for Xander.

GILES: A life is at stake, and you're still fixated on dating? Where are you?

ANYA: I think Xander's entered Angeles. I mean Los Angeles. We just got off the highway.

GILES: Good. That means you're close.

ANYA: And Giles, that demon sounds familiar.

GILES: You've heard of the Beast?

ANYA: I think I met him. He didn't tell me his name. But your description matches him exactly.

GILES: That's fantastic. I had no idea.

ANYA: Then why did you want me to come?

GILES: I don't know. I guess it was just brilliant intuition. I'll see you in a few minutes. [hangs up. He invited Anya only because she was powerless.] Talk about a lucky hunch. I'm a genius! [walks back over to the others. Gunn, Fred and Wes are back. They rearmed at a store in Long Beach.] I trust you all have had time to properly understand your parts. Do we need another rehearsal? One last final dry run?

LORNE: Ripper relax. We got it.

GILES: You can't take this lightly. Timing is essential. You must all be disciplined and focused. A single blunder by any of you and Cordelia is as good as dead. [walks away, nervously looking for Xander and Anya. Giles sees Xander and Anya driving up, and waves to get their attention. They drive up, get out, and open the trunk]

GILES: Good news everybody. The rocket launcher has arrived. [along with Xander he takes the wooden box out of the trunk, carries it over to the others, and opens it.]

FRED: Now this is the big can a whoopass we've been missing. Ya'al got some nifty toys in Sunnydale.

GILES: [holds up the launcher] Remember this, Angel? [smiles slyly]

GUNN: How did you ever get this baby?

XANDER: I stole it from a military base.

GWEN: That's some pretty nifty thieving. So you're the guy who works the big tools.

XANDER: Well, I don't like to brag, but – thank you. [decides to press his luck and try a joke.] I hope you don't say that to all the boys.

GILES: Xander, can you work that?

XANDER: I can try.

GILES: Take him up, Gwen.

FRED: Looks like it's been fired.

GILES: Just once. It was quite a scene. Angel can tell you all about it. Fortunately the kit came with a second rocket.

FRED: Don't worry. I won't waste it.

GUNN: I thought you agreed I'd be the one taking the shot.

GILES: You can't take both big guns, Winifred. We've been over this. You have the .50 caliber, Charles has the launcher, Wes the assorted small arms. Otherwise the timing falls apart and everything's bloody chaos.

ANYA: Well hello there cutie. You must be Connor.

CONNOR: You must be Anya. Giles didn't mention that you were pretty.

ANYA: That was rude and insulting of him. To be fair, he gave no hint of how lickably gorgeous you were. [Connor smiles. Giles grabs Anya's arm and pulls her away.]

GILES: Will you please focus? A woman's life is at stake! Now go in there and make sure it's him. [the forcefield is invisible. Everyone walks in with Anya. Angel stays in the shade near the south wall.]

ANYA: That's the guy. [when she gets close, she has doubts.] No. Wait. He was taller. Like this thing, but a lot bigger. He was –

BEAST: My older brother. [he turns and faces her.] Hello Anyaka.

LORNE: Perfect. He has a family.

BEAST: I've been meaning to thank you. Without your help I couldn't be here.

WES: How is that even remotely possible? You never had that kind of power.

ANYA: 700 years ago his brother appeared before me with a request. These Pontic priests in Trebizond were preventing him from entering this dimension. He wanted me to kill them. I told him I only helped human women, and patiently explained why he was neither. He gave some big idle threats and acted like he was going to get violent with me, so I teleported out of there. But how did I help YOU?

BEAST: Only one of us was allowed to enter this dimension. If you had granted his wish, he would have been the one. Because you didn't, I was able to kill him, and make his destiny my own. I owe it all to you, Anyaka. [he goes back to work. Anya and the others walk out of the warehouse.]

[To the north of the warehouse is a giant crane. Xander and Gwen climb up into the cockpit, which is 60 feet off the ground.]

XANDER: We don't have the keys. How do we start this thing?

GWEN: Easy. [touches her finger to the ignition.]

XANDER: You – You're – You're a demon! [Gwen slaps him with her gloved hand.]

GWEN: I'm not a demon. I'm just a freak.

XANDER: When I called you a demon, I didn't mean it in a bad way. I like women with amazing powers. You might say I prefer freaks. So you're human? And you were born within the last 30 years?

GWEN: Do I look older to you?

XANDER: No. Of course not. It's just, to be honest, you're actually more normal than most of the women I've dated. No, that's not true. You're probably more normal than all the women I've dated.

GWEN: Remind me not to ask about your personal life.

XANDER: What are the extent of your special powers?

GWEN: I'm electric. If I touched you without my gloves on, I would kill you.

XANDER: Most of the women I've dated aren't that up front about the fact that they can kill me with their touch. I appreciate your honesty.

GWEN: Is this a joke? Are you making fun of me?

XANDER: No! Absolutely not. I've had a very violent dating history. Most of the women who were attracted to me also wanted to kill me.

GWEN: So it's a black widow spider, praying mantis thing with you?

XANDER: There was no spider. Not yet, anyway. Okay, I think the engine is all warmed up. Now I try to figure out how to use this thing.

ANYA: Why are you all looking at me like that? You heard him. If it wasn't for me, you would be facing a bigger, more powerful version of that thing. I did you all a favor.

GUNN: How were you alive 700 years ago?

FRED: Are you a demon?

ANYA: Ex-demon. Ex-Vengeance Demon. Giles, I thought you told them about me.

CONNOR: But now you're human?

ANYA: Of course. Feel my heartbeat. No, really. Go ahead, Connor. Feel for yourself. [Connor's never met a woman who was as forward as Anya. He's delighted, befuddled, and a little scared.]

CONNOR: What's a Vengeance Demon?

ANYA: I helped women who had been hurt by men. A guy ruins some girl's life. The girl tells me what they wish they could do to the bastard. I do it for them. I did, anyway. For more that 11 centuries.

CONNOR: You helped women who had been hurt. You were their champion.

ANYA: Wow, I've never heard it called that before. Thanks. I hope the age thing isn't a problem for you.

CONNOR: Not at all. I like older women.

ANYA: You're 18, right?

CONNOR: That's what they tell me.

ANYA: Good. That means I can have sex with you. [Connor's dumbstruck. He can't quite believe his good fortune. She's almost seems too good to be true. Anya goes up to Lorne.]

ANYA: You name's Lorne. You sing, don't you?

LORNE: So you've heard of me.

ANYA: You're Long Lorne!

LORNE: Excuse me?

ANGEL: Why would she call him that? No!

GUNN: Lorne!!!

FRED: I think I'm gonna throw up.

ANYA: Did you know a Vengeance Demon named Halfrek?

LORNE: You mean Halle? I knew her for one night. That was more than a decade ago. Is she upset that I never called?

ANYA: No. Not in the least. She was very complimentary of you.

LORNE: Well, that's very nice of her. How is she?

ANYA: Dead.

LORNE: How? She was immortal.

ANYA: Her boss killed her.

LORNE: That De Hoffman pimp.

ANYA: His name's De Hofren. And he's not a pimp.

LORNE: Who are you kidding? He's a demon pimp! He has absolute control over hundreds of women. Punishes them if they don't turn enough tricks. Kills them if he feels like it. How is he NOT a pimp?

ANYA: You don't even know him.

LORNE: Did you whore for him?

ANYA: It wasn't whoring!

LORNE: Think about it, sweet cheeks. Vengeance Demons believe they're these super-feminists, these uber-liberated women. Yet they all work for a man who has complete control over their lives. How can you fail to see the irony? Maybe it's because I'm a sensitive cat who respects dames, but pigs like your old boss get me pretty hot under the gold lame collar.

ANYA: I wasn't a whore.

LORNE: Think about what I said when you're in a less defensive mood. I'm just glad you finally got out of The Life.

GILES: We need all of you armed and ready. We don't have much time. The forcefield is losing strength, and the sun is casting a shadow over Cordy, so Angel is free to operate. I want to see each of you in your concealed position. You know the signals. Wait for them. Surprise is essential.

XANDER: You're telling me Angel is in love with Cordy?

GWEN: That's what he said. There's definitely something between them. Or at least there was. Why are you so surprised?

XANDER: Angel was in love with someone else. When they were in my town, Cordy totally had the hots for him, but Angel barely even noticed her. Then again, back then she wasn't a demon. I guess a lot's changed. The stories Giles told me make it sound like another creature's taken over her body.

GWEN: So he dropped Bachelorette Number One for Cordy. Maybe Angel's a fickle kind of man.

XANDER: You sound pretty fixated on Brood Boy. You hot for him?

GWEN: Well, he is strong and heroic and very attractive. You have to admit he's pretty hunky.

XANDER: Why do I have to admit anything? What I mean is, I don't size up other guys like that. You know he's Cursed.

GWEN: You mean he has bad luck with relationships?

XANDER: I mean he can't have a relationship. Angel is a vampire with a soul. That's what makes him so mopey and guilt-ridden. He can't get happy. You know, really happy.

GWEN: He can't get it up? Never woulda guessed that.

XANDER: He can. But if he does, he loses his soul. Turns into a vicious killer.

GWEN: Sleep with him and he goes evil? That's rather trite. And seriously frustrating. Who would want to date a eunuch?

XANDER: I never thought about it that way. Angel a eunuch? I love it! By the way, I think I've mastered this monster. Time for you to go down.

GWEN: I hope you don't say that to all the girls you meet. [smiles at him, then steps out onto the arm of the crane.]


	11. Triumph of the Watcher

[Gwen stands on the arm of the crane, 60 feet in the air. She walks on down to the end of the arm, and dangles upside-down, holding on with her legs. Xander moves her above the warehouse. He slowly lowers her down. The forcefield is shaped like a dome, and extends about 20 feet into the air. When she's close enough, Gwen reaches down to touch it at its apex. That's where Giles believed it would be weakest. She uses her power to break down the shield. Then she lets go of the crane and falls to the ground, landing on her feet right behind the Beast. She runs away to the south end of the warehouse. Xander pulls the crane up and away.

Gunn crouches in the doorway at the east end. He fires the rocket. It hits the Beast square in the chest. He wobbles and leans back but stays upright. Connor scales the outside of the north wall. Fred walks towards the demon, pouring on the explosive rounds. The Beast moves towards her and away from Cordy. The hits slow him down. Angel sneaks along the inside of the south wall and gets behind the Beast. After ten shots and ten hits the clip is empty and it falls to the ground. Connor, perched like a hawk on top of the north wall 50 feet in the air, knows the sound of the emptied clip hitting the floor is his signal. He swoops down and kicks the Beast in the head. The gravitational force from the 50 foot fall, along with the rocket and the exploding rounds, is enough to knock the Beast down. He falls on his back.]

ANYA: My goodness. I've found myself a real live superboy.

[When the Beast goes down, Angel pounds his head with the sledgehammer. He gets in four powerful hits before the Beast kicks Angel away with his left hoof. The Beast is still on his back. Connor's dagger, the one which stabbed both the Beast and Cordy, was on the floor. He picked it and tried to take out the Beast's left eye, which would blind him. But when he gets close, he sees the Beast's right eye has grown back. The demon reaches out his left hand and grabs Connor's right wrist. He winks his right eye.]

BEAST: Can YOU do that? [Tries to gouge Connor's right eye with his right index finger. Angel hammers him in the stomach.] Maybe later we can find out. [punches Connor twice in the face and tosses into the south wall. With his left hoof, he kicks Angel's sledgehammer out of his hands. With his right hoof, he kicks Gwen into the north wall. Then he rolls backwards, lifts his body up with his arms, and stands up.

The moment the Beast stands up, Gunn strikes him in the chest with his favorite large ax, the one he made Connor polish. The demon throws a left hook. Charles ducks, swings and strikes the Beast in the left shoulder. The Beast tries a right hook. Charles ducks, the Beast whiffs, and Gunn strikes the Beast in the neck. The demon grabs the ax with his right hand and tosses it over his shoulder into the south wall. He punches Charles in the stomach with his left fist, in the mouth with a right jab, and in the right side of the jaw with a left hook that knocks Gunn temporarily unconscious. The Beast hurls him into the south wall.

Fred, who has reloaded and is furious about what the Beast did to Charles, peppers him with more explosive rounds, focusing on his eyes and mouth. The Beast covers his face with both hands, blocking most of the rounds. While Fred shoots, Angel clobbers the Beast from behind with the sledgehammer. The demon turns round and decks Angel with a right hook. Then he tosses Angel straight back into the west wall, so that Angel crashes into Cordelia. Connor and Gwen come at the Beast from the south and north, respectively. He strikes them both down, without much effort. He senses his opponents are tiring.

Once Fred has finished her clip, Wes charges in. He traded in his two 9 mm pistols and bought a pair of .44 caliber Magnums, thinking the added stopping power would come in handy (it's also Dirty Harry's weapon of choice). He holds fire until he is within 20 feet of the Beast, and which point he unloads with both barrels while still running at the demon. He gets off his final two shots at point blank range, putting them through the Beast's mouth while the demon connects with a right jab to Wesley's left eye. A left hook sends Wesley tumbling to the ground near Gunn, who has regained consciousness.

All the while, Xander has used the crane to moved dozens of cargo containers into the space between the back of the warehouse and the water. The steel containers are each 8 feet wide, 8 1/2 feet tall, and 50 feet long. The crane has three arms, each of which can pick of one container. The three arms can be moved in different directions or together. He's stacked the containers three across.

Connor, Angel and Gwen surround the Beast but wait about 10 seconds before engaging. Connor and Angel put up a weak fight and are knocked down with the first blows they take. Gwen tries a flying kick. The Beast blocks it and tosses her back into the north wall. Gunn gets Wesley up and they charge, Wes on the Beast's right and Charles on the Beast's left. Wes fires his remaining rounds, drops the guns, and closes with a long, thin stiletto dagger. At the same time, Gunn attacks with a broadsword. Wesley lunges for the demon's right eye. He is easily knocked aside. Gunn tries a couple slashing strokes, but the Beast blocks all of them. However, they keep the demon at arm's length. The Beast fails to realize these are diversionary attacks, and instead concludes the energies his adversaries are spent. Charles makes a few more ineffectual swipes before he is tossed back into the south wall.

Lorne stands about 30 feet in front of the Beast. He hits his trademark ear-piercing high note, which reverberates off the warehouse's metal walls. The Beast covers his ears and lowers his head. This prevents him from noticing the three cargo containers which Xander has maneuvered right above him. Together, they cover 50 feet south to north and 24 east to west. Xander drops them right on top of the Beast. He never saw it coming.]

GILES: [raises both fists] Success!!! Victory is mine!

ANYA: I'm shocked. You actually knew what you were doing. I thought you had gone half-mad.

GILES: The sense of triumph absolutely intoxicating. Know I how Marlborough must have felt after Blenheim.

[Xander immediately grabs three more containers from behind the warehouse, and puts them on top of the first three. He repeats this process several times. Angel and Connor rush to Cordelia. Angel uses the sledgehammer to shatter the chains holding Cordy's left arm. Connor uses Gunn's ax to break the shackles holding Cordy's right arm. They each grab onto her. She puts both her arms around Angel's neck.]

CORDY: Angel. You saved me. [he picks her up and carries her away. The sun is setting behind them so there is enough shade for him to do this. Connor feels dejected. While Xander piles on containers, everyone flees the warehouse. Xander soon fills most of the back half of the warehouse with containers stacked up to the tops of the 50 foot-high walls. The Beast will break free in a few minutes. But by then everyone will have escaped.]

XANDER: This is fun. Longshoremen got it pretty sweet. [He comes down from the crane]

GILES: [takes phone] Willow it's done. I saved Cordy. Everyone's fine.

WILLOW: Way to go Giles.

GILES: Angel and his friends are very brave and enormously talented. But they lacked leadership. They needed —

WILLOW: A Watcher?

GILES: No. They needed a general. Someone to channel their energies and bring their combined force to bear in a manner which would produce decisive victory.

WILLOW: I read up on the spell that demon was using. It's a one-shot deal. If you start, and you don't finish, you don't get a second chance. So Cordy's in the clear. But only with this demon.

GILES: Thank you Willow. I'm sure they will all be relieved to hear the good news. Tell the girls we'll be home soon. [hangs up]

LORNE: So how does this compare to an average day in Sunnydale?

GILES: We've had worse days. But I could count them on the fingers of one hand. In Sunnydale the evil tends to be nocturnal.

LORNE: It was the same in LA until Red came along and broke all the rules as he broke many of our bodies.

[Giles walks over to check on Cordy, who is sitting reclined against a wall. Symbols were carved into the skin on both her arms, the palms of her hands, and her forehead. Much of her face appears to be burnt. She wants to lie down, but putting her blistered and lacerated back against the ground would be too painful. He's never seen anyone this injured. Not even Buffy. Angel sits to her left, with his right arm cradling the back of her head and neck, and his left hand holding her left hand.]

CORDY: Is the son of a bitch dead?

GILES: No. But he can't hurt you again. He only had one chance, and he blew it. You were too strong for him, Cordelia. He did everything he could to take what he needed, but you wouldn't let him. You never gave up, even when things were at their bleakest.

CORDY: I knew Angel would find a way to rescue me. [Giles laughs]

GILES: Pardon me. You were tremendously brave, and Angel was quite gallant, but, truth be told —

ANGEL: Giles came up with the plan that got you free.

CORDY: [smiles, looks surprised] Really? You? I don't know what to say. [reaches out her right hand, which Giles holds with both his hands.]

GILES: I did what I could. Your friends are heroic, but they needed leadership.

CORDY: [laughs weakly] You were in charge? Since when were YOU ever in charge? [laughs even despite her pain and weakness. Giles lets go of her hand, glares at Angel.]

ANGEL: I know. I didn't believe it at first myself. Giles, a leader? Who knew? [he laughs. Giles looks pissed] But I think you inspired him to rise above himself. It helped to have a non-fighter. Someone above-the-fray who could see the big picture. [Giles is dismayed that Angel's damning him with faint praise.] Without him, I don't know if we could have done it. [this makes Giles happier.]

CORDY: Thanks for saving my life. [Giles smiles, maintains modesty.]

XANDER: You're welcome, Cordy. [swaggers over to her, acting like a big hero.]

CORDY: [squints, makes sure she's not hallucinating.] Xander? What are you doing here?

XANDER: Saving your life. Who do you think took down that big red demon?

GILES: He has a point.

CORDY: He does?

ANGEL: It's true, much as I hate to admit it. [Xander cherishes this moment] His mechanical skills did play a small part.

XANDER: It was the part without which all the other parts would fall apart.

GILES: There is some validity to his incoherent rambling. Xander used a crane to bury your tormentor beneath dozens of steel containers, allowing Angel and Connor to cut you free. It was all my idea, of course. [Fred, Gunn and Wes come over to check on Cordy. Giles and Xander walk away.]

XANDER: I'm getting pretty good at this world-saving stuff. It's nice to know you trust me and feel comfortable relying on me.

GILES: Rely? Just what the devil are you talking about?

XANDER: Twice now. Everything on the line. One last shot. And you give the ball to Xander Harris. Two times you've put your faith in me. And I haven't let you down yet.

GILES: I believe you are confusing faith with forlorn hope. Which is what you were, first with Willow and then today. I turn to you when all else fails.

XANDER: So I'm like your secret weapon. Cool!

GILES: Your demon-fighting talents are, if nothing else, secret. By which I mean they are hidden. Latent. Utterly unapparent.

[Connor stands off to the side, glaring at Angel and Cordy. The rejection hurts. Anya comes over to comfort him.]

ANYA: How ya doin' champ?

CONNOR: [still sulking] Okay.

ANYA: Are you hurt? [caresses his left cheek with her right hand.]

CONNOR: No. I'm fine.

ANYA: You don't look fine. You're all bruised and red. Don't you think that right now you need someone to take care of you? [puts her fingers through his hair]

CONNOR: No. Not someone. But maybe you. [Connor stops sulking]

ANYA: [puts her left hand underneath his t-shirt and feels around his chest] Just making sure nothing's broken. [Connor smiles] I've found that after the danger and excitement of a big fight, when the thrill of victory has worn off, there's usually a letdown. But there doesn't need to be a letdown. Not if you can find a way to continue the excitement and the thrills. Without the danger. [moves in and softly kisses Connor on the lips. When she pulls away, Connor reaches out, takes her head in his hands, and enthusiastically kisses her back.]

XANDER: [looking at the Anya-Connor tongue wrestling with dismay] I can't believe my eyes. She's all over him! Have you ever seen anything more disgusting in your entire life?

ANGEL: Trust me. I have. [Xander heads over to Gwen]

XANDER: Those were some nifty acrobatics you pulled up there. We make a pretty good team.

GWEN: It was nothing. I do a lot of dangling.

XANDER: If you don't have plans to dangle tonight, maybe we could do something together. Or we could dangle together, if you want.

GWEN: Xandy, you're adorable. I don't do adorable. Im sorry. You're just not my type.

XANDER: Proving once-and-for-all that you are NOT a demon.

[Next: Angel decides he needs to lose his soul, and calls Buffy to help him do it.]


	12. Angel and Buffy Together

CORDY: Angel, what's wrong?

ANGEL: That thing Anya said about meeting the Beast's brother. It sounded so familiar. Almost like I had been there.

CORDY: You met him.

ANGEL: The Beast's brother?

CORDY: The Beast.

ANGEL: I don't remember that.

CORDY: Angelus would. He's the only one who can help us. We've tried everything else. We need Angelus. We need to know what he knows.

ANGEL: I can't do that. You know what he's like. He'll come after everyone I love.

CORDY: And the Beast won't? I love you Angel. And I don't want to lose you. But you have to do this. [she kisses Angel. Giles, Wes, Gunn, Fred and Lorne have crowded around and heard Cordy's proposal. Angel stands up and thinks about it.]

FRED: This is crazy.

LORNE: Which means it has a chance.

WES: We've run out of ideas.

GUNN: Just what we need right now – more evil. Have all of you lost your minds!?

ANGEL: Cordy's right. I can't defeat him. None of us can. He's unlike anything we're ever faced. We're desperate.

WES: And desperate times call for desperate measures.

GILES: As always, Wesley has a firm grasp of the flagrantly obvious. [The sun's just set. Angel walks off, takes his cell phone out of his jacket pocket, holds it in his right hand, and makes a call.]

ANGEL: Hello.

BUFFY: Angel!!! Is that you!!?

ANGEL: Buffy, I need to talk to you. [Giles hears this and is horrified. He runs over to Angel and puts a crucifix against the back of Angel's right hand.] Aighh! [Angel lets go of the phone. Giles grabs it.]

GILES: He'll call you back. [Turns off phone]

ANGEL: [grabbing injured right hand] What the hell was that for!?

GILES: Have you lost your mind?

ANGEL: Have you?

GILES: Look around. You and your fighters are not a team. Or an army. You're just a pair of love triangles. Maybe if you weren't so busy attacking each other, you would have handled this Beast thing by now. Your life is a mess. And I will not allow that mess to spill over into Buffy's world. She has more than enough problems already.

ANGEL: Is there a point when you'll starting making sense? 

GILES: Have you even considered how this will effect Cordelia? There are less divisive ways to lose your soul.

ANGEL: Less divisive than what?

GILES: Don't play dumb with me.

ANGEL: Wait. Oh God. You actually thought – ? You assumed I was calling Buffy to ask her to – Do you think I'm evil already?

GILES: Of course not.

ANGEL: Then you think I'm stupid. I'd have to be evil or stupid to want to put her through that. You don't ask someone you love to turn you into a killer.

GILES: You're expecting me to believe that you called Buffy the moment you decide to lose your soul and these two events were in no way connected?

ANGEL: I wanted to talk to her while I still had the chance. In case anything happened. I'm going to go about this in a way which won't leave anyone I love feeling responsible for turning me into a monster.

GILES: I apologize. I assumed the worst and overreacted. As to the task at hand, I know a certain shaman –

WES: You know a white magic shaman. All he can do is pretend to take Angel's soul. I know a black magic shaman who can actually get the job down.

GILES: Of course you would. After all, it goes with the new Dark Wesley persona you have worked so assiduously to cultivate.

GWEN: That doesn't sound very fun. Maybe I could liven things up. [takes off gloves, puts both hands to Angel's chest]

ANGEL: Whoa. Oh my. Oh God. Oh God. That is so –

GILES: [looking sickened] What is she doing to you? [Angel holds out his left arm. Giles puts his fingers to Angel's wrist. He turns pale with shock.] You have a pulse. You have a heartbeat? Good Lord. Gwen can –

GWEN: Raise the dead? In more ways than one, I'm sure. [takes hands off Angel. He looks rather happy.]

ANGEL: Thank you Gwen. I appreciate the offer. But I can't. I mean I can. But it would be wrong. I'm sorry.

GWEN: I'm sorry for you too. All work and no play make Angel a glum boy. Anyway, I prefer my men hot. And warm-blooded. [casts a flirtatious glance at Gunn]

[Giles takes Wesley aside]

GILES: I've been thinking about what you said earlier. You were right. I need to assure the Council's future, because if I don't, no one will. But I can't do everything on my own. Therefore, I am making you Director of Western Operations. For the moment the title is entirely symbolic. You have enough to keep you occupied. But if you do get the chance, you will have direct authority over the Americas. Robson will be Director of Eastern Operations, with authority over Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. This gives you the authority to recruit future Watchers and initiate programs outside of Sunnydale, subject of course to my approval. Also, it gives you access to Council funds.

WES: What funds? You and your Potentials are sleeping on the floor of someone else's house.

GILES: I'm talking about the endowment. Robson is currently working out the legal arrangements to transfer fiduciary authority to yours truly. In a few months everything should be settled and we shall be in business again.

WES: You're serious about this, Rupert?

GILES: How could I not be. We are the only ones left standing. What choice do we have?

WES: They're going to hand over hundreds of millions of pounds to you?

GILES: Upwards of 1 billion pounds, actually. Of course it will still be under the control of the trustees, with the pre-existing limits on annual expenditure still in place. That still provides us with an annual budget of at least 30 to 50 million pounds. The possibilities are staggering.

WES: And I would have access to this money.

GILES: Purely for Council business, of course. No beach houses in Malibu or jaunts in the Concorde to see your beloved Arsenal play Real Madrid in the UEFA Cup. There would be expense reports and central oversight. But I'd be willing to give you access to, say, 5 million annually. It trust you'll discover some creative ways to make that money serve the Greater Good. I'll be in touch. Just wanted to let you know you were back in.

WES: The inmates are running the asylum.

GILES: And now you're one of them. Congratulations. [Walks over to his car] Xander, let's go home.

XANDER: But I just got here. Gunn's about to give me pointers on how to build a flame-thrower. And I was in the middle of telling Fred how I saved the world with my mouth. I think she has a thing for me.

GILES: If, God forbid, Winifred actually did fancy you, then Charles would be acting far less friendly.

WES: She goes for brains or brawn. You're neither.

XANDER: Well, well, well. If it isn't Weasely Watcher Wesley. Going for the unwashed, unshaven hobo look? [Giles steps between them]

WES: Don't worry Rupert. I won't lay a hand on your boy. I take no pleasure in harming the helpless or the ignorant. [walks away]

GILES: Like I said, time to go. [Xander gets in the car he drove up. Anya opens the driver's side do.]

ANYA: Get out of my car.

XANDER: What do you mean your car?

ANYA: I own it. It's registered in my name. I only let you drive because I'm not used to city traffic. So get out.

XANDER: You want to drive back? Go ahead.

ANYA: I'm staying behind. For tonight at least. With Connor.

XANDER: You're spending the night with a guy you just met less than an hour ago?

ANYA: Does that surprise you?

XANDER: Sadly, it doesn't. [gets out of car]

ANYA: Then you're jealous.

XANDER: No. I'm just . . . shocked. He's a lot younger than you. About 1000 TIMES younger than you. And he's Angel's son!

ANYA: So you don't like his parents. You don't like your own parents. Does that mean you think I shouldn't have slept with you?

XANDER: [long pause] Is that supposed to make sense?

ANYA: Of course, your parents didn't give you spectacular physical abilities. I'm hoping to find out how spectacular. So hand me the keys. [Xander reluctantly complies] Oh Connor. Connor? [looks around. she can't find him.]

CONNOR: Time to go? [Anya turns around, sees Connor. She's a little startled.] 

ANYA: Ah!! [hyperventilates for a few seconds]

CONNOR: Something wrong?

ANYA: I'm just not used to the friendly ambush.

CONNOR: Going back to my place?

ANYA: You bet, champ. Giles, I'll call in the morning.

CONNOR: Thanks for helping us save Cordy. You remind me of a good man I used to know. [he means Holtz]

GILES: You're welcome. And please try to go a few weeks without getting tossed or kicked through the air like a football. Discretion really is the better part of valor. I hope you learn that before it's too late. [Anya and Connor drive away. Giles turns to Xander] We'll take my car.

XANDER: Like a football? What does that mean? [Giles explains] That's not human! What is he, bionic?

GILES: No, just rash. And bloody stubborn. I'm sure Buffy could survive similar traumas. But she's smart enough to avoid them in the first place. Connor's the sort of young man who runs head-first into a brick wall, notices he hasn't knocked it down, and concludes he needs to run into the wall again, except at a higher velocity.

XANDER: That might that will get him in trouble one day.

GILES: It already has. Today. And probably on previous days. Perhaps if he spent more time with his father he would learn a thing or two about intelligent tactics.

XANDER: You mean Angel. Because now he's a vampire who's spawning. I can't tell you how terrifying I find that. And incomprehensible. On so many levels.

GILES: It helps if you don't try to comprehend.

XANDER: I'm good at that. [Fred and Gunn come up to them]

FRED: Thanks for all your help. [hugs Giles]

GILES: And thank you, Winifred. Couldn't have done it without you. If I ever need a sniper, I'll give you a call.

FRED: Aw, that's sweet. [hugs Xander. He's happy.] Nice meeting you, Xander.

XANDER: The pleasure was mostly mine, I'm sure.

FRED: Cordy never said how funny you were.

XANDER: I'm guessing she never said a lot of stuff about me.

GUNN: Thanks for everything, G. [shakes Giles's hand, pats him on the back.]

GILES: "G" – I like that. It's connotes a certain toughness. [Xander's hurt. GIles likes it when Gunn calls him "G," but hates it when Xander calls him "G-man." Gunn turns to Xander.]

GUNN: And props for the heavy weaponry. [shakes Xander's hand]

XANDER: And – well – "props" for your tips on heavy weaponry. I can think of a few situations when a flame thrower could really come in handy.

ANGEL: [takes out his cell phone] Hello.

BUFFY: Angel?

ANGEL: Last time I checked.

BUFFY: What happened before?

ANGEL: Something came up. Took care of it. Didn't mean to be so rude.

BUFFY: No, no. I understand. Stuff comes up out of nowhere. Speaking of which, why did you call?

ANGEL: It's been a while since I've heard your voice. Just wanted to see how you were doing.

BUFFY: Still alive. Haven't died since we last talked. Well, maybe once. But that would just have been for like a second or two. I'm not sure. How are you?

ANGEL: Still dead. Could be worse. Has been worse. Let's just say I had a real lousy summer. And things haven't been too great since then.

BUFFY: Sounds like things haven't changed.

ANGEL: They have.

BUFFY: I bet misery still looks great on you.

ANGEL: Well, perhaps. [smiles] But every now and then even I get the urge to wear something different. [unintentional Cordy allusion]

BUFFY: Life sucks. We wish it didn't. You must have called me up to say something more important than that.

ANGEL: It's been a long time since I've heard your voice. One year, five months and three days, but who's counting? I was scared that would be the last time we talked. I remembered how I felt when you died. And I tried to imagine how you would feel if I died, if you knew you could never see me or talk to me or touch me ever again. I didn't want to put you through that.

BUFFY: You're an immortal. But you're afraid you're going to die. Angel, is there something crucial you're not telling me?

ANGEL: I don't mean to sound fatalistic. Sure, I have problems. Unkillable demon in town, mass slaughter, an apocalypse to prevent. Business as usual, from your perspective. But somewhere along the way I decided I should stop pretending you don't exist, and you should stop pretending I don't exist. Cause one of these days, one of us won't have the luxury of pretending.

BUFFY: I know. And I do worry, about one day not pretending. And I know how much it would hurt to not have you around. Ever again. But I also know how much it hurts to have you around. How much it hurts right now.

ANGEL: It hurts me too. But never talking to you, never seeing you, that would hurt even more. We can't keep defining our relationship by what we can't do. It's just insane to stay stuck on this "I love you, so I can never see you" treadmill year-after-year. And I don't know about you, but things have gone pretty lousy for me since we stopped keeping in touch. Train wreck, natural disaster, wrath of God lousy.

BUFFY: That's true. For me, I mean. Probably on account of us not touching – not keeping in touch. You see now why we don't do this more often. Neither of us can keep up the "just friends" act for very long.

ANGEL: I wasn't trying to. I know what we are, what we'll always mean to each other. That's why I called. You're not afraid of anything Buffy, except me. We grew apart because we were afraid of what might happen if we were together.

BUFFY: I wish it was that simple. And maybe it is for you. But not for me. I have huge responsibilities. A lot of people counting on me. A lot people who need me to keep them alive. But I would throw it all away to be with you. I would let them die. I would do anything to be with you. And that's the problem. I love you too much. Nothing good can come from this. Not right now. [Angel doesn't notice this caveat, which implies something good could come of this post-First Evil.]

ANGEL: I just realized something. One of us dies, the world ends. We'll never have the chance to miss each other. That's comforting. In a very dark way.

BUFFY: On a personal level, yes it is. On a professional level, it's terrifying. There's an apocalypse coming that I can't stop! [starts laughing, as does Angel]

ANGEL: You never were one to delegate authority. [Spike comes up from the basement into the kitchen. Buffy doesn't notice] Then again, this demon seems pretty fixated on yours truly. Obsessed might be a better word for it. 

BUFFY: Maybe he has a death wish. Why else would he choose to take on the likes of you? [Spike gets his blood out of the fridge, puts it in the microwave]

ANGEL: Thanks. I'll be sure to remember that the next time he's tossing me through a concrete wall. It was good to hear your voice again. I'm glad I called.

BUFFY: So am I. Take care.

ANGEL: You too. [Buffy hangs up. Spike takes the blood out of the microwave and starts drinking it.]

SPIKE: How's Angel? [Buffy gasps and turns around, surprised to see Spike, who has a few drops of blood just below the left corner of his mouth.]

BUFFY: What?

SPIKE: That's who you were talking to.

BUFFY: How did you – ?

SPIKE: It was kind of obvious. Even if I couldn't hear his voice in the receiver. You know, vampire ears. Why the denial? [the combination of the surprise and the blood makes Buffy a little afraid of Spike's jealousy.]

BUFFY: What denial? There's nothing to deny. He just called to tell me Giles was coming home.

SPIKE: Of course. That would explain why neither of you mentioned his name. [goes downstairs. His delivery was deadpan and betrayed no emotion, which made it even more chilling from Buffy's point of view.]


	13. Angelus Fantasy Sequence

[Angel's tied up in the cage. The shaman is in the process of removing his soul, and Angel is dreaming. In his dream, he's making love to Cordelia.]

ANGEL: Oh God. [rolls off Cordy to the right side of the bed] Buffy –

CORDY: [turns to her right and looks at him] Angel?

BUFFY: Cordy!!? [Buffy stands in the doorway on the left side of the room. Her hair's tied back in a ponytail. She wears red leather pants and a black haltertop]

CORDY: Are we jealous?

BUFFY: Angel? I - I - I don't believe what I'm seeing.

CORDY: Believe it Blondie. The boy is mine.

BUFFY: How could you? And with Cordelia!? Okay, I don't even wanna know why. But how could you be so reckless?

ANGELUS: It's not what you think. I still have my soul. You think I could achieve Perfect Happiness with Cordy? [laughs]

CORDY: What!!?

BUFFY: You mean you were TRYING to take his soul?

CORDY: [starts to get dressed] I was caught up in the moment. I let my guard down. That was all it took. Angel finds me irresistible. He just couldn't help himself.

BUFFY: You? [laughs] Irresistible? [laughs some more] Are you really as stupid as you look? [Cordy's dressed. She walks over to Buffy and stares her down.]

CORDY: Poor little Buffy. Washed-up, over-the-hill Buffy. You may have been Queen B in high school. But since then one of us got stronger, and the other just got older.

BUFFY: I can see that. You've really let yourself go.

ANGELUS: Ladies, please. You don't have to fight over me. [Cordy slaps Buffy. Buffy punches Cordy. Cordy punches Buffy back. Buffy's a little startled by the force of the punch. Angelus smiles gleefully. His only regret is that Cordy got dressed before she started fighting.]

CORDY: Told you I had power. [hits Buffy with a right kick]

BUFFY: Trying to copy me. [flying spin kick sends Cordy into the back wall] I'm flattered. Stake a vampire or two while you were at it? [Cordy throws a right cross. Buffy blocks this and throws Cordy over her shoulder. Getting cocky, Buffy moves in while Cordy's still on her back. Cordy kicks Buffy in the chin and vaults back to her feet.]

CORDY: Frankly, I'm disappointed. [punches Buffy in the nose] Guess I just overestimated you. [throws a right punch, which Buffy blocks. Cordy connects with a left spin kick. Cordy grabs Buffy and throws her into the back wall. Cordy throws a right jab at Buffy's nose. Buffy ducks. Cordy's fist goes through the drywall.]

BUFFY: Hello steroid queen. [Cordy backs up and grabs her bleeding hand. Buffy charges. Cordy flips Buffy over her shoulder. Buffy sweeps Cordy's legs out from under her. They're both on their backs. Angelus likes what he sees. Buffy kicks Cordy in the head and springs to her feet. She kicks Cordy again. Cordy gets to her knees and Buffy nails her with a spin kick. Buffy backs up, allowing Cordy to get to her feet. They're both bloody, though Cordy's bloodier.]

CORDY: This is what Angel was afraid of?

BUFFY: No more holding back.

CORDY: Bring it on, blondie! [Buffy connects with a left, blocks Cordy's right jab, connects with a right hook, but gets hit by Cordy's left hook. Buffy lands a left roundhouse kick, knocking Cordy back a few feet. She moves in and lands a left-right combination, but Cordy comes back with a right cross, Buffy kicks Cordy in the ribs, blocks Cordy's kick to her head, and tries a right kick. Cordy grabs Buffy's foot. Buffy does a back flip to get free. She lands a right kick, a left roundhouse kick and a flying right kick, all to Cordy's head. Cordy is up against the back wall. She tries a left, then a right punch. Buffy blocks both. Buffy unloads with four left-right combinations to Cordy's face. She holds nothing back. But Cordy's still standing after taking eight straight knockout blows.]

BUFFY: What is wrong with you!? [Cordy lands a right uppercut to Buffy's chin, sending her back ten feet. Angelus gets his pants on and stands up on the opposite side of the bed from where Cordy and Buffy are fighting.]

ANGELUS: She's an evil demon. [Cordy's shocked at the betrayal. Angelus grabs a sword off the wall and throws it to Buffy.]

BUFFY: Well she was always evil. [grabs sword. Stabs Cordy through the heart.] Guess it was only a matter of time before she went demon.

CORDY: You stupid little bitch. [grabs Buffy's neck with both hands and starts choking. Buffy can't break free of Cordy's grip. She's running out of time. So she reaches out and grabs Cordy's hair. Angelus had been waiting for some hair-pulling. She pulls hard enough that the pain combined with the anger of someone messing with her hair causes Cordy to let go. Buffy pulls the sword out of Cordy's chest and cuts her head off. Cordy's body disappears. Connor enters just in time to see Buffy slay Cordy. He's filled with murderous rage towards this woman he's never seen and whose name he doesn't know. Connor is wearing black leather pants and a black silk button-down shirt.]

CONNOR: Cordy?!! NO!!! [Buffy turns and sees this boy with a look of acute pain and grief. His intense eyes shift from wide-open shock to narrowed, focused vengeance. He leaps at Buffy and kicks the sword out of her hand and across the room. Connor pulls out his home-made dagger from Quor Toth. He growls at Buffy, shoots out his right arm and tries to stab her. She grabs his right wrist to block the thrust. Connor grabs Buffy's neck with his left hand and throws her into the back wall.]

BUFFY: Did you have the hots for her, or are you always this mental?

CONNOR: You killed her. You die.

BUFFY: You strike me as the non-verbal type. [Connor tries to stab Buffy, she blocks it. He tries to punch her with his left, she blocks that as well.] But the "I Tarzan, you Jane" act is a definite turn-off. [head butts Connor, then kicks him in the mouth. Connor puts away the knife.] Maybe that's why you weren't the one I caught her humping. [Connor turns his head to the left and gives the half-naked Angelus a look of shock and disappointment. Angelus just smiles. Connor can tell he's no longer Angel. Buffy tries to take advantage of Connor's distraction by landing a right roundhouse kick. Without even turning his head to see the incoming kick, he does a backflip and avoids the blow.]

CONNOR: [to Angelus] You need her to protect you? [Buffy charges in. Connor does a forward flip to elude her. When he lands, he nails Buffy's face with a left reverse kick.]

BUFFY: You sure are something. [Connor charges in recklessly. Buffy nails him with a right jab and a left kick] Too bad I'm something more. [Connor gets up. He turns around, runs up the back wall, leaps out and hits Buffy with a right kick. She's sent into the dresser on the front wall. Connor leaps at her. Buffy grabs him and shoves his head through the mirror on top of the dresser. Connor pulls out the knife and slashes Buffy's right forearm. She moves back in pain. Connor looks at the blood on the knife and gets excited. He comes at Buffy like he's going to stab her, but instead does a forward flip and kicks Buffy in the head. Holding the knife in his left hand, he raises his left arm like he's going to stab her in the eye. When Buffy falls for the fake, he kicks her in the ribs with his right foot. Then he bashes her right knee with his right foot and pounds Buffy's nose with a right jab. Angelus is proud to see his son using diversionary tactics. But he knows his boy is doomed.]

CONNOR: Is he really worth dying for?

BUFFY: [looks at the knife. looks at Connor] I didn't know Faith had a brother. [grabs Connor's left arm. Shove his left hand through the wall. Grabs his head, shoves that through the back wall. When Connor gets free, he grabs Buffy's head and shoves it through the side wall. When Buffy gets free, she hits Connor with a left cross and a right uppercut. He tries a right kick. She grabs his foot and kicks him in the groin. Angelus winces. She kicks Connor in the stomach, hits his face with a left cross, and knocks him to the ground with a right hook. Connor lies limp, playing dead. Buffy reaches down to snap his neck. Connor opens his eyes, shoots his legs up, and wraps them around Buffy's neck. Realizing he can't snap it, and assuming that she's a demon and therefore choking her will do no good, he kicks her away and leaps to his feet. He flies through the air and kicks Buffy in the chest. Her back hits the wall. Connor puts his knife to her throat with both arms. She grabs his arms, and they struggle. He gets the knife within a millimeter of her skin. But Buffy slowly gets the better of him in this test of strength. She pushes the knife backwards and starts to turn the knife's point towards Connor. For the first time in the fight, Connor looks scared.]

[The knife falls out of their hands and towards the floor. Buffy kicks it over her left shoulder with her right instep, and with her left heel does a bicycle kick which sends it back over her shoulders and well as over Connor's head. When he looks up at the knife, Buffy kicks him in the groin. This time Angelus smiles. When Connor doubles over in pain, Buffy does a forward flip over his body and grabs the knife out of midair. She lands and they both turn and face each other. Buffy tosses the knife to Connor. When he reaches for it, she leaps in the air and clobbers his with a left spin kick. Connor staggers backwards. As she spins in midair, she grabs the knife with her right hand. When she lands, she stabs Connor in the heart. Connor turns to Angelus and reaches out his right arm. Angelus is flattered by the impersonation. Connor disappears. Buffy has triumphed.]

BUFFY: Haven't faced his kind of demon before.

ANGELUS: Buffy, I'm sorry. I was lonely. Cordy was – convenient. I never meant to hurt you. I still love you. I'll always love you.

BUFFY: Oh Angel, I forgive you. [runs up to his and hugs him, resting her head on his chest. After a few seconds she lets go and looks at him] We all have our moments of weakness. In fact, last year, I slept with Spike. Before he had a soul.

ANGELUS: He has a soul? Spike is such a copycat!

BUFFY: Yes, I know. But he'll never even come close to the original.

ANGELUS: You and me, we were meant to be. We're soul mates. We can never be separated, no matter how far we are apart.

BUFFY: Do you know how hard it has been to live without you? I try to go on, but I feel hollow inside. I go through the motions, and I fool my friends, and I fool Giles, and I even fool Spike, but I'm dead inside. Without you, it's not living.

ANGELUS: Why did you ever let me leave you?

BUFFY: Because I was a fool! I didn't think I needed you. I thought I could move on. I thought I wanted to move on. But I don't. And I never will. [starts breathing heavy] Why won't you put a shirt on? Or you trying to torture me? Oh, Angel! [she kisses him passionately. He grabs her and kisses her back. After about 15 seconds he starts biting the left side of her neck, the one he didn't bite before. Buffy moans orgasmically. After 10 seconds Angel lets go and pulls back]

ANGELUS: Been there. Done that.

BUFFY: Are you dying? Do you need my blood to save you? You know I'll do anything for you, Angel.

ANGELUS: That's what I love about you. [grabs the sword, decapitates Buffy.] When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn? [puts on a shirt. Hums "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" as he buttons it. Then he picks up Buffy's head with his right hand] Alas, poor Buffy. I knew thee. [starts laughing. When he stops laughing, he walks out to the lobby, humming again. He hold the head behind his back. Spike and Giles are standing in the center of the lobby. Spike is wearing the white v-neck t-shirt and black velvet blazer Angel wore when he met Buffy in Sunnydale. Giles wears a black three-piece suit with a green tie, green handkerchief and a black bowler hat.]

GILES: Jolly good to see you, Angel. Charles and Wesley are in the parking lot fighting a duel over Winifred. Xander is in the courtyard getting mercilessly pummelled by a Grooselug who claims Xander impaled his "princess." I haven't the foggiest what that's about. And Willow is doing a spell with a local witch named Lilah Morgan.

ANGELUS: Lilah's not a witch.

GILES: Oh. [looks dismayed]

ANGELUS: [smiles] Ooooh. Lucky Willow. Say hi to Buffy for me. [lobs her severed head to Spike. He grabs it with both hands and looks at her face. Her eyes are still open.]

SPIKE: No! No! Noooooo!!!!!! [falls to his knees, still looking at the head, sobbing and wailing uncontrollably. Giles turns into a painting on the wall behind Angelus.]

DRUSILLA: Welcome home daddy. [she stands on the balcony to Angelus's left. He looks up at her and smiles.]

DARLA: Hello again lover. [she stands on the balcony to Angelus's right. He looks up at her and his jaw drops.]

ANGELUS: Darla. You're alive! How?

DARLA: I died so Connor could live. He's no longer living, so I'm back. [they both leap down to ground level. Angelus starts making out with Darla. Dru nibbles on his left earlobe.]

ANGELUS: Let's go get something to eat. [Dru hangs onto the left side of his body, Darla to the right. They walk to the door. Spike is still on his knees, holding Buffy's head, sobbing and wailing. They pass to his left. Dru reaches out her left hand and briefly strokes his hair. Spike doesn't notice. He keeps crying.]

DRUSILLA: Poor Spoike. [They walk past him.]

DARLA: I never understood what you saw in him.

DRUSILLA: I wanted a toy I could play with all by myself. Now William's broken, and he's missing too many pieces to put back together again.

DARLA: You could have done worse. Crybaby was better than most. But you only come across a stallion like Angelus once every few centuries, if you're lucky.

DRUSILLA: I see her. She's coming.

ANGELUS: Who's that, baby?

DRUSILLA: The Slayer.

ANGELUS: Faith. [smiles] We could have some fun with her. You ladies mind if I make this a foursome?

DARLA: Anything to make you happy, lover.

ANGELUS: It's good to be me. [they walk out into the night]

[Angelus wakes up. He's laughing.]

SHAMAN: The soul has been extracted. My work is done.

ANGELUS: Nice dream. But where did that stuff about Spike having a soul come from?

SHAMAN: Everything came from your subconscious.

ANGELUS: Then my subconscious has a delicious sense of irony.

SHAMAN: You saw what you wanted to see.

ANGELUS: I really dug the grand finale.

SHAMAN: I knew you would. I figured, why should Angel have all the fun?

ANGELUS: Angel never has any fun.


End file.
